


heavy is the head that wears the crown

by schuylerhamilton



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Modern Royalty, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27715498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schuylerhamilton/pseuds/schuylerhamilton
Summary: After the death of his father figure, Scott, the heir to the throne, struggles to come to terms with the challenge he is now facing: finding an acceptable wife, while also trying to forget his first love.Tessa suddenly finds herself thrust into national, and then international, spotlight, after living a seemingly ordinary, but privileged, life.Based off of “The Crown” (Season 4) on Netflix.
Relationships: Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir/Original Female Character(s), Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 19
Kudos: 51





	1. fairytale

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, and Happy (Early) Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!
> 
> It’s been a few months since I’ve written anything for these two, and I couldn’t resist writing something new after binging Season 4 of The Crown. This work will not directly follow the new season, but it is very heavily based on it, with a few twists.
> 
> This chapter is split into five different parts, each of which are bolded and formatted in the center every few scenes.
> 
> I’ve planned out at least two chapters, with the possibility of a third one being written by Christmas. The second chapter should be posted within the next two weeks, after I’ve finished up my online school semester.

_I am the son_

_And the heir_

_Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar_

_I am the son and heir_

_Of nothing in particular_

_—_ The Smiths _, “How Soon is Now?”_

* * *

**  
THE LETTER**

_Toronto, 2015_

Scott opened the letter slowly, being careful not to rip the elaborate envelope that had the telltale golden “PL” design on it, the initials of his longest and most faithful friend, Patrice Lauzon, on the front. He sighed.

In the days following Patrice’s unfortunate death, Scott had spiraled, and had gone through all the stages of grief. As of right now, the “acceptance” stage was still new to him, and it felt foreign, although he knew he would have to get used to it eventually. Patch would want him to, he knew. The news of the freak skiing accident had shaken him to his core. That very morning, the day of the accident, Patrice had asked the prince to come ski with him, and have a chat. The conditions were perfect.

Scott had declined, and Patrice had written out his thoughts, the ones that were supposed to be laid out in the conversation, down on paper before leaving the palace for what would be the final time.

There wasn’t supposed to be an avalanche. It was just an accident. A terrible, unfortunate accident. And had he not declined the invitation, Scott himself, the heir to the throne, the future king of Canada, could have suffered the same fate as his mentor and friend.

He stared at the papers in his hand, running his finger down the side absentmindedly as he looked at Patrice’s all-too-familiar handwriting, the scrawl he’d come to recognize over the years that Patrice had worked in the palace. He swallowed roughly, and began to read the letter that had become his most trusted confidant’s last words to him.

_My dear Scott,_

_There exists no greater compliment than to be called a ‘prince among men.’ Such a person earns his title with his ability to lead and inspire. These are elusive virtues, ones which you must reach and rise. And it grieves me to say that you are not working hard enough to reach and to rise. The choice of a woman was the issue around which the infamous Prince of Canada came to grief. And it’s astonishing to me that, so many years after his abdication, you are making so little attempt to conceal your infatuation for a woman you know will never have what it takes to become your Queen. How could you contemplate such ruin and disappointment to yourself, to your family, to your mother – the_ queen _, to_ me _?_

The lump in Scott’s throat tightened, and his jaw clenched. He knew what his family thought of Jenna. He knew they didn’t think of her as an acceptable future wife for him. She didn’t come from an prominent family, had none of the connections that were considered important to the royal family, and, to make matters worse, had a multitude of ex-boyfriends, something which the royals deemed unacceptable. But he’d been seeing her for two years now, and had known her, had been friends with her, for much longer than that. He loved her, he did.

But he couldn’t marry her, otherwise he’d risk becoming the outsider in the family. One of the older Princes of Canada, a man Scott had only read about in the history books about his family, had abdicated the throne after choosing true love over duty, which was unacceptable. Duty was always the most important thing. Despite it being the 21st century, his family still stuck to the values and beliefs of their royal ancestors, and any girl with any past relationships was seen as a huge no-no. The Crown demanded purity, complete devotion, and class. Someone like Jenna was seen as unfit.

He continued to read, and was unsurprised by the words that appeared next.

_Must I remind you again of the importance of building your destiny with some sweet and innocent, well-tempered girl with no past, who knows the rules and will follow the rules?_

_Someone with whom you can make a fresh start and build a new life. One that people will love as a Princess and, in due course, as Queen. Someone with just enough charisma to catch the attention of the nation, but not lead them on. A girl who is picture-perfect, with enough devotion to your family that she will never consider straying from the path or parting from you. The Crown demands respect and trust. You of all people must know this by now, having been molded into the ideal prince after your years of schooling and etiquette classes. This is not a game, it is a full-time job._

_This is your duty now, your most important task. You are more than a man, more than a Prince, and one day, dear boy, you shall be King. Make me proud. Make your_ family _proud._

_Your ever-loving friend and mentor,_

_Patch_

Scott stared at the pages in front of him, and then looked out one of the palace’s many windows. It was dark outside, and the only light in the room was a single lamp on his desk. He let the pages fall onto the desk, before placing his hands on the wood and bowing his head to look at Patch’s messy signature. A knock on the door startled him, and he whirled around, eyes wide.

“Oh.”

His father, also a Prince, peered into the darkened room. “Patch left instructions.”

Scott’s brow furrowed. “For what?”

“The funeral.” Joe answered, his lips stretching into a thin line. “He wanted to be prepared for the worst,” He explained, after seeing his son’s concerned look. “Being an advisor to the royal family, and all.”

“Oh.” Scott said again, feeling a bit dumb. “Yes, of course. I should’ve realized that.”

His father’s shoulders drooped slightly, and he stepped into the room. “Are you feeling alright? I know Patch was important to you.”

“Yeah, I’ll— I’ll be fine. I just need some time.” He admitted, and looked at Joe. The lamp’s light cast an eerie glow across his father’s face, and, he figured, his own as well. Scott exhaled, glancing at the letter again.

“He asked you to speak at the funeral, you know. He said so in the instructions.” Joe said, his voice quiet. “I thought it was going to be me, considering I was the one who hired him all those years ago, but… I guess not.”

That made Scott look up and peer at Joe curiously. The dim light had seemed to create even darker circles under his father’s eyes, making to look like he was shooting a resentful, almost evil look at his son.

“Well, he—“ Scott paused, wanting to choose his words carefully. “Patch was almost like a father figure to me, I guess. In a way.”

Those were clearly the wrong words to say. Joe stepped closer, squinting in the light.

“What the hell are you taking about? You _have_ a father.” He hissed, pointing at himself. “ _Me_.”

Scott’s brow furrowed, and glared at his father. The initial nervousness had gone away, and now he was just tired, and feeling defiant. “Well, I just meant that he was more present than you _ever_ were.” He said, his voice cool. “And if- _when_ I have a child, a son, I’m going to be there for him. I won’t let history repeat itself.”

His father stared at him. “I sure hope he talked to you about that. You know how important that is.” Joe replied. “You know the rules. Duty over love. You’re 28 now, Scott. Choose someone _acceptable_.”

Scott followed his gaze towards Patch’s letter sitting on the desk. Father and son stared at it for a second, before turning their heads back towards each other.

“Your mother is in the library.” Joe said finally. “I suggest you join her there, to look over the pages and pages of instructions Patrice left.”

Scott let his head fall slightly. “Yes, sir.”

* * *

**THE GIRL**

_London, 2017_

The car raced along the road, heading straight towards the estate that Scott had become very familiar with after the past month or so. For the good of his family, for the good of the Crown, he’d put his relationship with Jenna to an end, and instead started seeking out a girl to marry, one that checked off all of the requirements that his parents deemed necessary. Another car, this one driven by one of his security guards, trailed behind him. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be with a security guard at an event, or even when he was on a date. He was the future king. He needed protection.

This particular… _date_ was important for many reasons. This girl checked off, to his knowledge, all of his boxes. Her parents knew his parents, and her family even rented out one of the royal estates in the summer. She was kind, well-off, and, best of all, she knew the rules. Knew what she’d be getting into by seeing him. And, after today, their third date, perhaps he’d even ask her to be his girlfriend, officially.

He didn’t want to brag, but that was a high honor, since he was heir to the throne.

Jordan Virtue was everything he wanted, and more. She’d be the perfect wife, the perfect queen. There was no way that his parents would say no to this one, at least not at the moment.

He pulled up to the huge house, and his security quickly followed. After getting out of his car, Scott motioned for them to remain in their car. He’d already decided that he and Jordan would be going for a walk around the estate, so his guys could wait for a few minutes while he fetched her from the house.

Scott buttoned his simple suit jacket, tied his expensive leather tennis shoes, and quickly made his way up the stairs and across the large landing to the front door of the Virtue estate.

Jordan greeted him there, wearing a comfy green sweater and jeans, but she was shoe-less.

“Your Royal Highness,” She smiled as he kissed her on the cheek, and then quickly curtsied, which made him laugh a little. Yes, it was customary, and the right thing to do when greeting a member of the royal household, but Scott had always found it a bit funny. “Here, come inside. Let me just grab my shoes. Is it alright if I leave you here for a second?”

“Yes, of course.” He said, smiling politely, and stepped inside. The Virtue home was beautiful, with marble floors, and tan walls. The wall in front of him had floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing plenty of sunlight to seep though. The house had been in the family for a few generations, Jordan had told him, and it was the family’s intention to keep it looking just as it was a few decades ago. The Art Deco style was gorgeous.

Jordan left, and he was left staring at the entryway.

A door opening to his left caught his attention. The sunlight cast a shadow on the figure of the woman who entered the room, which left him unable to see her face. But, like Jordan, she also wore her hair up in a bun, and wore leggings and a slightly oversized sweater.

“Oh,” She called out, and then stopped in her tracks, as if she just realized who he was. “You must be here for my sister,” She said, a little quieter, and quickly curtsied. “Sorry, your Royal Highness, I’m just passing through.”

Scott watched as she crossed over to the other side of the room, out of the line of sunlight. “I just need to get to the stairs over there,” She explained, referring to the stairs next to him, and he laughed softly.

“It’s okay.” He said, and she looked at him, which finally allowed him to see her face clearly. He blinked.

This must’ve been Jordan’s younger sister. She was practically a carbon copy of her, almost her twin. But he could tell that she was younger, probably just a few years younger than him, if he had to guess. She smiled politely, and walked up the stairs.

“Please don’t tell her that you saw me,” She said, pausing to look at him again. “Jordan wanted everything to be just perfect, and I don’t think she’d want me messing everything up.”

He craned his neck to look at the top of the stairs, where she stood. “I won’t tell a soul. Promise.”

She smiled.

Scott swallowed, watching her disappear from his line of sight.

Jordan appeared soon after that, opening the door. He followed her outside, quiet.

“Is everything alright?” She asked him, interlocking her fingers with his as they walked.

He nodded, shooting her a small smile. “Yeah. Although, I think I just met your younger sister.”

* * *

_Toronto, 2018_

“His Royal Highness currently has an opportunity for a goal,” The commentator announced, his voice echoing around the cold arena in the Toronto Cricket Club. “He’s skating closer, dodging his opponents, and— will he make it? YES! Yes, he made it. The puck has landed safely in the goal box, and the score is now 5-2.”

Scott smiled under his helmet as the arena erupted into cheers. Hockey was his favorite activity, and he’d been playing it since he was a child. It was something the Royal Family loved to watch and to play.

After the game ended, Scott pulled off his helmet, shook out his hair and sighed, running a hand through it. Patch would’ve congratulated him, giving him an affectionate pat on the back and a warm smile. This time, though, there was no one near the stands to greet him, no one to congratulate him. As the crowd slowly began to leave, Scott suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Your Royal Highness,” A voice said as he turned around, coming face to face with who he initially thought was his ex-girlfriend. He and Jordan had broken it off a few months ago, after she told the press that he was, quote, _A bit too immature to be king_. This had angered him a bit, but the couple had broken up on friendly terms, after Jordan told him that she really was sorry for her comment. Unfortunately, this left Scott back at square one, still searching for an acceptable wife and future Queen.

The girl standing in front of him, however, wasn’t Jordan, but rather… “You’re… you’re Jordan Virtue’s younger sister, right?” He asked, and she beamed, nodding.

“Tessa,” She introduced herself to him, curtsying politely before holding out her hand for him to shake. He took it.

“Have we met before?” He asked, and she — _Tessa_ — nodded again.

“Last year, I believe. You were picking up my sister from our estate and I—“

Oh! Now he remembered. “And you crossed through the entryway for a minute.” He finished, and she laughed, a beautiful sound.

“Yes.” She said, before her expression turned serious. “Anyway, I just wanted to personally offer my condolences to you about the death of Patrice Lauzon. I know it happened a few years ago, but I’ve been keeping you in my thoughts. We all have. My family, I mean.” She explained, and he nodded.

“Thank you.” Scott said, smiling sadly. “That really means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome,” She replied, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder softly. “I know he meant a lot to you.”

“He did,” Scott admitted, his head dropping slightly. “Again, thank you.”

She smiled, before curtsying again. “I have to go,” She said. “It was lovely to officially meet you, Your Royal Highness. I hope we meet again.”

Tessa walked away, leaving Scott standing there, feeling a little dumbstruck.

_I hope we meet again, too_.

* * *

Scott stood next to one of the palace’s many phones, the roaring fireplace casting odd shadows across his face. He waited for the call to connect, and breathed a sigh of relief when it connected with a _click_.

“Your Royal Highness,” Jordan Virtue answered, a hint of a surprise in her voice. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well,” He replied, smiling. “Look, what can you tell me about your sister?”

“Tessa?” Jordan asked. “Well, what would you like to know?”

“Everything.” He answered, and she laughed.

“I’m not sure you’d want to know everything.” She replied, and Scott sighed, pushing the phone closer to his ear. He _needed_ to know everything before he could make his next move. It was important.

“Please.” He pleaded, and Jordan was silent for a moment.

“Ok, fine.” She said, and the eldest Virtue sister went on to describe her younger sister. “She’s 29, lives in an apartment in Toronto, and works as a kindergarten teacher. Our father, though absent, is the Earl of Virtue, which makes her _Lady_ Tessa Virtue. My friends and I, we used to call her _Duchy_ , short for _Duchess_ , because we all thought that she was destined for greater things. I think she did, too.”

Scott scoffed.

“Did I just scare you off?” Jordan asked, a hint of faux concern in her voice. “Or do you still want to know more?”

“No,” The prince replied, staring at the fireplace. “You’ve intrigued me, actually. Tell me more. Is she fun?”

“Oh, yeah, she can be great fun.” Jordan gushed. “The kids in the kindergarten love her, and so do the kid’s dads.” She laughed, and Scott scoffed again. “She’s very kind, and loves her job. She’s so devoted to those kids, in fact, that she tells me that she never has time for a relationship. Sometimes, she even takes the kindergarteners skating. She says she’s completely talentless on the ice, but that’s not true. She’s _amazing_.”

“Hm.” Scott replied. A plan was forming in his mind. Tessa Virtue seemed to be hitting all the right requirements. Kind and devoted? _Check_. Single, never been in a relationship before, or at least not recently? _Check._ Connections? _Check._

“Look, Jordan,” He began, grabbing a pen and reaching for a leather notebook near him. “Would you be okay with it if I asked her out?”

“Like, _out_ out?” She replied, and he nodded.

“Yes.”

“Oh. No, I don’t mind.” Jordan said. “Should I tell her, or…?” She trailed off.

“No,” Scott said, gripping the pen. “Have it be a surprise. What’s her number?”

* * *

“Tessa? Tessa!” Jordan called out, trying to make herself heard over the music her younger sister was currently blasting in her apartment. Jordan had come over for brunch, and was currently holding her sister’s phone in her hand. “You have a phone call.”

“What?” Tessa asked, turning around, her eyes bright.

Jordan gripped the phone tightly, motioning for her sister to turn down the music, and waved her over.

“It’s the _Prince of Canada_ ,” She hissed, and Tessa’s eyes grew as large as saucers.

* * *

  
The road stretched out before Scott as he made his way towards the Virtue estate. This was the first time in over a year that he’d be visiting the house, and the first time that he’d be visiting someone other than Jordan Virtue.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles almost turning white, as he drove down the long driveway. The Virtue house — well, _mansion_ was probably more appropriate — stood in front of him as he pulled up and stopped the car. He’d come completely alone, for now, but he knew his security would arrive any minute now.

As he stepped out of the car, the front door of the house opened, and Tessa Virtue stepped out. She was wearing a simple white sweater and dark blue jeans. Her brown hair was down, and it just touched her shoulders.

She smiled broadly upon seeing him, a mischievous, but kind, glint in her eye. Scott smirked slightly, the left side of his mouth turning upwards as he stared at her.

Her hands gripped the elaborate railing on the landing, and she watched him closely as he closed the car door and made his way towards the stairs.

“Your Royal Highness,” She said politely, and curtsied.

“My Lady.”

* * *

**THE TEST**

“You seem happier,” His mother commented, a few days later. The Queen stared at him from the couch. “Is it the girl?” She asked, and waited for an answer.

Scott paused. “Yes, I think it is.” He answered, a small smile playing at his lips. Tessa was just as wonderful as Jordan had said she was. She was a bit shyer than her older sister, but Scott had no doubt that she’d eventually come out of her shell. His smiled widened when he saw that the Queen looked pleased.

He was enjoying the positive attention lately. Before this, all the attention he ever got was never-ending questions about when and who he was going to marry, or if he was even prepared enough to one day become king. The pressure was enormous, and sometimes he felt suffocated by it. So this positivity was a very welcome change.

“You should invite her to the summer estate,” Alma said, offhandedly, and Scott’s head jerked upwards in shock.

“Mom, you can’t be serious,” He gasped. That was a huge honor, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone who wasn’t in the royal family.

And… it involved a series of tests. Not actual tests, of course, like the ones a person would take at school, but rather, a series of environmental and situational experiences that the family used to deem who was acceptable or not. The last Prime Minister had failed after forgetting to bring “outdoor” shoes, and arriving late to a formal dinner.

Inviting Tessa to the estate could only mean one thing: the family wanted to see if they thought she could be a suitable addition to the royal family. If she passed, well, he’d eventually have to propose. If she failed, it was back to square one for him.

Honestly, Scott thought the royal rules and rituals were extremely odd. All of this could’ve been avoided, had he been allowed to marry Jenna.

“I am completely serious,” His mother replied, staring at him. “I’ve known the Virtues for a while now. You and I both know they occasionally have access to one of our estates. Invite her, Scotty. We’ll see how she does.”

He sighed. Tessa had told him that she was “ _embarrassingly available_ ” for the summer, and was just planing to spend it in Toronto, or at home on the Virtue estate.

Scott recalled Patch’s, and his father’s words. Find a girl who was perfect, who was devoted. _Someone with just enough charisma to catch the attention of the nation, but not lead them on. A girl who is picture-perfect, with enough devotion to your family that she will never consider straying from the path or parting from you. The Crown demands respect and trust._

Tessa seemed like she’d be able to just drop everything if he called. All he’d have to do was say something like, “ _I can’t stop thinking about you, and I can’t wait until I come back to the city to see you again. Would it be okay if you came to one of my family’s estates with me this summer? I miss you terribly_.” She’s come running if she was really as available as she told him she was.

He swallowed thickly, letting his head drop a bit. “Okay.”

* * *

  
The estate in question was not a mansion, not really, but a castle near the lake in Algonquin Park. It was one of the family’s favorite residences, especially in the fall, when the leaves would turn gorgeous shades of red, orange, and yellow.

The royal family frequently traded in their elaborate, expensive wardrobe with more casual clothes in the summers, choosing to lounge around in the castle and tromp around the woods near the lake. This activity would probably surprise the nation, since the general population viewed the royals as untouchable, or, at the very least, _stiff_.

It did not, however, surprise the people who were close to the royal family, which was why Scott suspected that Tessa would be more than ready to adjust to life at the castle for a few days. The royals were country people at heart, and their vacations were a very welcome change from their stuffy life in the palace.

A breeze ruffled his dark hair as he stepped out of the car and made his way towards the front door of the castle. Behind him, a member of his security detail carried his suitcases, being careful not to trip on the gravel on the ground.

About an hour later, the family had settled into the castle, but the last visitor had just arrived.

“Joe,” Alma commented, peering out the castle’s second floor window. Another car had pulled up to the entrance. “Who’s this?”

The queen’s husband joined her at the window and observed the scene. “Well, it’s not the Prime Minister, that’s for certain.” He commented, and his wife nodded.

The couple watched as the driver got out of the car and opened the door for the passenger, as one of the family’s security guards popped open the trunk and retrieved the visitor’s suitcase.

Their confusion only grew as the visitor got out of the car, clad in a simple light-pink fitted shirt and jeans. She looked at the gorgeous castle in front of her, eyes wide.

“Is that Jordan Virtue?” Joe asked, perplexed. “I thought Scott broke up with her.”

“No,” Alma answered, peering at the visitor. “It’s her younger sister.”

* * *

  
The royal family’s tests, while seemingly difficult and mysterious, were actually quite simple if one knew what to do and what to look for. It was a study in family dynamics. Although, architecturally, little was normal about the royal family, they still strived to have normal “family fun” vacations.

These involved board games, parlor games, dinners, hikes, and the occasional movie night. Scott found these “tests” to be normal, although he could tell that an upper-class person might have trouble excelling in these activities. After all, what head of state frequently went on long hikes, or played Pictionary with their children?

However, Tessa seemed to be doing great. She was polite at dinner, and engaged in a long, interesting conversation with Joe about the woods surrounding the lake. Apparently, they were going to take a hike in the early morning, to search for a deer that Joe said he’d spotted earlier.

“There’s great excitement gripping the household,” He told her, as Scott watched her curiously. “We haven’t seen a deer in these parts for a quite a while. This could be a big deal.”

His father looked at him from across the table, and Scott got the sense that the deer wasn’t the thing causing such excitement to rush through the family, but rather… the _girl_.

He glanced to the other side of the table, where his mother and his aunt were talking quietly.

“Is she a _friend_ friend or a _girlfriend_?” Aunt Carol asked, and the Queen set down her fork, glancing at Tessa.

“Somewhere in the balance, I think.”

Scott tore his eyes away from his mother and her sister, and glanced back down at his nearly-empty plate, catching Tessa’s eye in the process. She shot him a small smile, and he returned it, swallowing nervously.

That night, Tessa won Pictionary, and a strange sense of dread seemed to be growing in Scott’s chest, although he wasn’t exactly sure _why_. She was perfect. That was what his family wanted, didn’t they?

Honestly, this was going a little _too_ well for his liking.

* * *

_It’s like it was written in the stars._

Written in the stars. Ha. That was what his mother had told him just a few minutes earlier, as he prepared to escort Tessa out of the castle and into the waiting car. Her weekend at the castle was the best one he’d had there since… since Jenna came, just a few years before. She’d all but passed the test, but, of course, the royal family had taken note of her past relationships and her connections, and promptly shut down the idea of marriage.

“This was really a wonderful weekend,” Tessa said, beaming. “Thank you for inviting me here.”

“You’re very welcome.” Scott said, shooting her a warm smile.

Tessa was a completely different story than Jenna. He didn’t know her as well as he knew Jenna, and yet… he was sure that she also passed the test.

“So, how’d I do?” She asked him, a bit shy. It was like she’d read his mind. “With the tests, I mean.”

“I’ll get the results back in a few days.” He answered. He knew that his parents would greet him with a very long, very serious conversation as soon as he re-entered the castle. “But I’m sure you passed.”

“Really?” She said incredulously, her green eyes sparkling.

“With flying colors.” He reassured her, patting her shoulder softly. “And distinctions, too, I bet.” He added, and she laughed quietly.

“That’s a relief,” She said, and now it was his turn to laugh. They stared at each other for a minute, unsure of what to do.

“Goodbye.” Tessa curtsied.

“Goodbye.” He said quietly.

Scott watched as she got into the car, sighing softly. His mother’s word’s echoed in his mind.

_She’s a triumph. In the history of the Moir castle, no one has ever passed the test with such flying colors. Perfect tens all across the board._

_She’s… she’s perfect._

He turned around and prepared himself for what would most likely be the most important conversation of his life to date. He knew what would be coming next.

* * *

  
“She’s the one,” His father said, clapping Scott on the shoulder.

“Yes, but—“ Scott stopped himself suddenly. _But is she the right one for_ me _? Why isn’t anyone asking themselves that?_ “I mean, um, I barely know her all that well.” He shrugged.

_Not like I know Jenna. I don’t know anyone as well as I know Jenna._

“You’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other after the wedding.” His father replied. “Now, you know what you have to do.”

Scott let his chin drop to his chest. “Yes, I suppose I do.”

* * *

**THE ENGAGEMENT**

He proposed a month later, without a ring, and she said yes, because of course she did. He heard her sister call her _Duchy_ through the phone after she called to break the news, and it brought him back to that night, almost three months ago, when he called the eldest Virtue sister to ask about the woman who was now his fiancée.

_My friends and I, we used to call her_ Duchy _, short for_ Duchess _, because we all thought that she was destined for greater things. I think she did, too._

When he called his parents to tell them, “I did it,” Tessa had laughed when she heard his mother sigh with relief through the phone.

The next few days were an absolute whirlwind, and Tessa seemed to have handled it well enough, much to his relief. She picked a gorgeous emerald green ring with tiny little diamonds surrounding the stone, the most expensive ring in the catalogue.

This didn’t exactly please the Queen, she’d have liked it better if her future daughter-in-law had picked one of the rings from the family’s private collection. But Tessa had said that the green reminded her of her eyes, and mother and son decided to leave it at that. No need to put an extra pressure on a future queen.

But now the real test began. Tessa was to move into the palace, and the Queen would be making a formal announcement about their engagement the next day. The press would hound them, presumably, and Scott wasn’t sure how she was supposed to handle that. Yes, Tessa came from an upper-class family, but she had no experience with the press or the paparazzi. And she was just so _shy_ sometimes. He just hoped their photoshoots and interviews wouldn’t be a nightmare.

* * *

  
“Her Majesty the Queen is delighted to announce the engagement of her son, His Royal Highness Prince Scott, to Lady Tessa, the daughter of the Earl of Virtue and Mrs. Kate Virtue.” The Queen’s secretary announced from the top of the palace’s grand staircase. The press stood in the huge entryway below him, clapping loudly, but politely. “Now, if you will please follow me, the Prince and his fiancée are waiting upstairs for a brief interview.”

He hoped Tessa wasn’t uncomfortable. She was wearing a simple black dress with a green sweater that matched the emerald green ring on her finger, and he found the material to be slightly itchy as he gently rubbed circles around her lower back. The flashes of the cameras made the ring glint in the light, casting little rainbows around the ornate room.

“Your Royal Highness, what was your first impression of your fiancée?” A reporter all but yelled, and Scott looked up, temporarily blinded by the bright flashes from the cameras in front of him.

“Well, believe it or not,” He began, launching into the story as Tessa looked up at him through her eyelashes, batting her eyes shyly. “We met a few years ago, when I was seeing her sister. It was a very brief interaction, but, um… she captivated me.”

It really wasn’t a lie, not at all. The Tessa Virtue he’d seen then and the one standing next to him now were both shrouded in mystery, and he was just waiting for the mist to clear so he could see who she really was.

“Are you beginning to plan the wedding?” Another reporter asked as the cameras continued to click.

“We’ll start that soon,” Scott assured the press, noticing Tessa nodding absentmindedly beside him. “As of right now, we are very happy.” He pressed his lips into a smile, and squeezed Tessa’s hand.

“And madly in love, too, I presume?”

Tessa laughed quietly, her voice clear as a bell. “Yes, of course,” She replied, and he blinked.

_Of course?_ He hardly knew her, hardly knew if what he felt for her was love, or just simply admiration and respect. The amount of times they’d spent together could be counted on barely two hands.

“Well,” He said, hoping his smile didn’t look like a grimace. “Whatever _in love_ means.” Tessa looked at him, a peculiar expression on her face, one he couldn’t name. “But, uh, yes, we do love each other.” He fumbled, and focused all his attention on her.

She really did look gorgeous, and he noticed that her eyes really were that same gorgeous shade of green that her ring was.

The cameras continued to click and flash, and she rested her head on his shoulder gently; the press effectively captured the moment for the country, maybe even the _world_ , to see.

* * *

  
“I’ll see you soon,” He told her after the interview was done, as they walked side by side down the hallways towards the grand staircase. They weren’t holding hands anymore, and she was fiddling with her ring, turning it over and over and over on her finger. It was kind of annoying, he thought, for her to be playing with something so expensive like it was just a toy.

“What?” She asked, her voice soft but strangely demanding, and he realized that this might’ve been the most emotional he’d ever heard her get. Before this, her voice was so very soft and formal, a perfect tone. Tessa stopped in her tracks, and Scott turned slightly to look at her. She seemed genuinely confused, completely unaware of what was going on.

“I’m going on tour for two weeks,” He replied, and her confused expression only grew, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “They didn’t tell you?”

“No,” She blinked, stepping closer to him, the click of her heels muffled by the expensive carpet. “Where?”

“To Vancouver. I have some meetings to attend there.” Scott swallowed thickly, watching her expression. “This was planned months in advance, I’m sorry…”

“Oh.” She said, running her finger over the emerald stone on her ring. “Well, why can’t I come? Being cooped up here would be terribly boring without you.”

He thought of answering with some potentially smart-ass response like, “ _You’ve already spent so much of your life without me, what’s just two weeks more?_ ”, but decided against it.

“It’s no place for a future princess, unfortunately. You have a lot to learn. A lot to perfect.” Scott replied, trying to ignore the disappointment that was evident on her face. “It’s only two weeks. It’ll fly by.”

He stood there for a second, unsure of what to do or say, before remembering something that his parents often did before they parted. Slowly, Scott leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, and her eyes widened slightly.

He turned and began making his way down the grand staircase, willing himself not to look back at her. If he looked back, he imagined that he would’ve seen her standing there, watching him leave, with that same disappointed, perplexed expression on her face.

* * *

  
Scott wasn’t completely in the dark about what Tessa got up to while he was on tour, of course. He heard from her private secretary that she’d received hundreds of letters, from people all across the country, congratulating them and wishing them well. She was taking etiquette lessons, the same ones he’d taken when he was a child, to prepare her for the seemingly hundreds of rules she’d have to follow once she was princess.

But there was radio silence from her, personally, which he thought to be a bit odd. He didn’t know how she was feeling, or if she was nervous for the wedding, which was to take place just two weeks after he returned from Vancouver.

Hopefully, those two weeks would give him some time to get to know her better.

He himself was receiving congratulations as well, including a hearty pat on the back from the Prime Minister, and a toast from all the other heads of state during a cocktail dinner. None of them asked where his fiancée was, just how she was doing, and he lied through his teeth, because he truly didn’t know.

When he finally touched down in Toronto again, in the middle of a torrential downpour, he was exhausted. However, for whatever reason, he didn’t even have to fake a small smile when he saw her standing under an umbrella, surrounded by security who were there to keep the cameramen at bay.

The ride home, to the palace, was significantly less awkward than he initially thought it would be. She spent most of her time staring out the window, seemingly mesmerized by the tiny water droplets that clung to the glass.

“How was your trip?” Tessa finally asked, her voice quiet. He blinked, shocked for a second. In his family, tours were a duty, not something to be congratulated or asked about. He remembered coming home, almost ten years ago, to a nearly empty palace after completing his very first tour of the country.

“It went well.” Scott replied, glancing at her. “I heard about the letters you received, and the etiquette lessons. But, uh, what else did you get up to?” He asked, trying to initiate a conversation.

“I took ballet,” She replied, a hint of a shy smile playing at her lips. “For my posture.”

“Hm.” Scott mused. “How nice.”

“Yes,” Tessa said, her smile growing. “I used to dance as a child, so it was wonderful to get back into it again.”

He smiled, too, his lips stretching into a thin line. “That does sound wonderful.”

He was beginning to crack the enigma code that was Tessa Virtue, soon-to-be Princess of Canada. So she loved performing, or at least she used to. That was helpful, because if Scott was honest with himself, the royal family’s job was to perform. Show people what they want to see, and nothing more.

As they pulled up to the palace, Tessa gripped his hand, clearly put off by the hundreds of citizens and reporters that swarmed the gates.

The car pulled up to the doors, and the couple parted, each going their own separate ways; Scott, to his bedroom, and Tessa, to her etiquette lessons.

He looked at his feet, studying his wet, shiny shoes as he climbed the grand staircase and made his way towards the living quarters. Each member of the family had their own separate apartment inside the palace, and he was happy to sit down on his bed and relax. There was a lot to do within the next two weeks.

* * *

  
“They’re calling it a fairytale.” His mother announced during breakfast about a week later, and Scott almost dropped his spoon.

“Who?”

“The tabloids,” Alma replied, folding her napkin and placing it neatly on her lap, and Scott’s eyebrows almost reached his hairline.

“I didn’t know you read the tabloids.” He said, his voice even.

“I don’t.” The Queen said, looking up at him. “But your father does, and he told me about it.”

“Oh.” Scott paused. “Why, uh, why are the tabloids calling it a fairytale? I mean, we’ve barely been seen in public together.”

It was true. Besides the interview after the engagement announcement, and her being there when he arrived at the airport, they’d both been keeping to themselves.

“Well,” The Queen shrugged. “It’s not every day that a royal wedding happens, especially if it’s the wedding of the _heir_ to the _throne_.” She said pointedly, and he sighed.

“I suppose you’re right.” Scott said. He got up from his chair, folding his napkin neatly and placing it near his empty bowl, and went to walk the seemingly endless halls of the palace.

He walked and walked and walked, hands clasped behind his back and neck craned upwards to look at the huge paintings that hung on the walls. Most of them were original, from the family’s private collection, and each of them were protected in an ornate gold frame.

He’d never really taken the time to look at them before, at least not in detail. But, now, as Scott wandered the halls, he took the time to appreciate the gorgeous works of art. Just as he was marveling at a painting depicting a party, he heard soft piano music echoing down the hallway.

Ah. _Song for Guy_ , by Elton John. Someone must’ve been playing it on the piano.

He spotted two double doors at the end of the hallway, white with pure gold doorknobs, and as he crept closer, he realized that it wasn’t being played on the piano at all, but rather, the actual song was being played from some speakers.

_Life… isn’t everything… isn’t everything… isn’t everything…_

He gently pushed open one of the doors, peering inside. The music was louder, now, obviously, and he realized that he was looking at the dance room. He’d never been in here before, but it looked like most of the other rooms in the palace, with incredibly high ceilings and pristine, cream-colored walls. The plush red carpet had been swapped out and replaced with shiny wood floors.

_Life… isn’t everything… isn’t everything… isn’t everything…_

And Tessa was dancing in the middle of the room, twirling and twisting like she hadn’t a care in the world, wearing a flowing white shirt and black leggings. It was mesmerizing, almost, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.

Her dance wasn’t choreographed, obviously, but it was still so strangely gorgeous, and nothing like any of the ballets he’d been to.

She spun around and around and around, and Scott suddenly felt like he was intruding, like he was seeing a part of her that he definitely should not have seen, at least not yet. But she flopped down on the floor as the song ended, chest heaving, and her eyes fell on him standing in the doorway.

“I’m sorry,” She said hurriedly, clearing her throat and getting up quickly, smoothing out her plain white t-shirt. “I just don’t know when I’ll get an opportunity to do something like that again.”

Scott swallowed. “It’s okay,” He said quietly, before closing the door and retreating back down the hallway. The image of her standing there, breathing heavily, her eyes wide and her hair slightly messy, was imprinted in his mind.

_Life… isn’t everything… isn’t everything… isn’t everything…_

* * *

**  
THE WEDDING**

The week leading up to the wedding was terribly busy, and Scott wished that he could get a chance to breathe. Wedding planners were constantly entering and exiting the palace, and he’d heard whispers of Tessa having multiple dress fittings per day. It was chaos, but everyone in the family was excited.

The rehearsal went perfectly, much to everyone’s relief. Excitement was beginning to grip the nation, and even the world. There were rumors of nationwide watch parties, with people gathered in restaurants or in their living rooms to watch the royal wedding. Forecasters were beginning to make predictions about the weather, and everyone was hoping for a bright, sunny spring day on the day of the ceremony. Making the journey from the palace to the church in the rain would be dreadful.

Now, the night before, Scott had no idea where Tessa was. He presumed that she was in her apartment in the palace, a comfortable group of four large rooms just for her. There was a fireworks display in the park across from the palace, and Scott was watching it from the window, pulling the curtains aside to watch the fireworks explode into bursts of red and white in the night sky.

A knock at the door pushed him out of his reverie, and he turned to see his mother walking into the room. She stopped next to a window near him, pulling back the curtains to see the fireworks and hear the cheers from the huge crowd that was gathered in the park.

“You know,” Alma began, launching into what Scott was _sure_ was a motherly lecture. “After the infamous Prince of Canada abdicated the throne for his true love, there was quite a lot of pressure on his younger sister, your great-great grandmother, to marry well. She found a wonderful man, and they were very much in love. But,” She paused to watch the fireworks light up the sky. “He died in an accident just a few days before the wedding.”

“This caused a panic, so your ancestors set her up with his younger brother, thinking the match would work out perfectly.” She said, and Scott glanced at her. “It didn’t. Her husband was nothing like the man she desperately wanted to marry, but couldn’t. However, she understood that the most important thing was duty. _Duty_ ,” She repeated, looking at Scott.

He couldn’t look at his mother. His jaw clenched slightly as he watched the sky light up again.

“And, although they didn’t know much about each other at first, they both made an effort to get along. Not for themselves, but for the country.” Alma explained. “Through that mutual effort, they began to admire and respect each other. And, eventually, that respect and admiration grew into love.”

“I know you wanted to marry Jenna.” She said, and Scott closed his eyes. “However, Tessa is a perfectly wonderful girl, and although you might not know much about her now, you will, with time. You’ll love her.”

He bowed his head, sighing, and turned to look at his mother. He hadn’t thought of Jenna in weeks, actually, due to the stress of planning a royal wedding. “I like her.” He said finally. “But I’m not sure if I’ll be able to love her.”

“You will.” Alma said, her voice reassuring but commanding. “With time. The more familiar with this family she becomes, the more confident she’ll become. And as she grows even more beautiful, you might realize that she was indeed a perfect match.”

“What if she isn’t?” Scott asked quietly. “What if she doesn’t bend to tradition like… like I do?”

He didn’t know if Tessa realized the weight that was to be put on her shoulders, starting the next day, and how she would need to carry that weight for however long they were married.

“If she doesn’t bend,” His mother said, her voice cautious. “Then I fear she will break.”

The Queen left the room, and Scott was left alone, staring out the window. The sounds of the fireworks seemed to reverberate in his head, and he wondered if, somewhere in the palace, Tessa was doing the exact same thing as he was.

Maybe she’d be sitting on a windowsill, in awe of the crowd of people in the park across the street. Or, maybe, she was already asleep.

The fireworks continued to explode, and Scott finally shut the blinds.

* * *

  
“ _…How’s the weather looking today? Will there be clear skies this morning for the couple?”_

_“Good morning to you, too, Andrew. Yes, it’s looking like a truly lovely day for a royal wedding…”_

_“…thousands of people are already waiting outside the palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the family on the way to the church…”_

_“The only other question, besides how many people will be in attendance, is what does the dress look like? And I believe we’ll be getting an answer to that very soon…”_

Scott shut off the TV after surfing through the channels. It really was a nice spring day, with not a cloud in sight. He pulled on his white gloves, smoothed out his uniform, and double-checked to see if his peaked cap was on the dresser. It was, thankfully.

He grabbed it and opened the door, watching as the little flower girls skipped down the hallway, no doubt making their way towards the grand staircase. Their little white dresses were embroidered with flowers, and small, light-pink flower crowns sat daintily atop their heads.

“It’s so pretty!” One of them whispered loudly, and the other one nodded. Scott realized that they were talking about the dress.

“ _She’s_ so pretty.”

He smiled a little at that, and closed the door, the sound echoing in the now-empty hallway. He obviously hadn’t seen the dress yet, but he would finally see it when he was at the altar.

Scott made his way down the hallway, passing palace workers who bowed their heads quickly as he walked by. As he entered the entryway, he spotted his father standing on the grand staircase, sporting a uniform that was similar to his son’s. The driver of the car that the father and son would be taking to the church stood next to him, and Scott walked down the stairs to take his place next to them, as well.

He could see the sleek black car waiting outside through the glass windows, and behind it, the carriage that Tessa would be traveling in soon after he left. If he listened closely, Scott could hear the crowds standing outside the gate, waiting in anticipation.

He took a deep breath. _Head up, don’t slouch._

“Ready, sir?” The driver asked.

“Yes.”

* * *

_  
“Here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made: a Prince and Princess on their wedding day. But fairy tales usually end at this point, with the simple phrase, “They lived happily ever after.” This may be because fairy tales regard marriage as an anti-climax after the romance of courtship. As husband and wife live out their vows, loving and cherishing one another, sharing life’s splendors and miseries, achievements and setbacks, they will be transformed in the process. Our faith sees the wedding day not as the place of arrival, but the place where the adventure_ really _begins.”_

_—_ The Archbishop of Canterbury


	2. figurehead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Tessa embark on a successful tour of the United States.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very heavily based on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand, although Scott and Tessa go through much less drama. The Australia tour is recreated in The Crown’s fourth season, in an episode titled “Terra Nullius.” 10/10 would recommend watching. The opening scene is based on a moment in the third season.
> 
> Just like the previous one, this chapter is split into four different parts, which are bolded and capitalized.

**THE CALL**

_Toronto, 2016_

“I know it’s been a few months since he died, but I just can’t stop thinking about the letter.” Scott said into the phone, leaning his head back so it hit his bed’s headboard. His skull hit the headboard with more force than he’d anticipated, and he winced, bringing his hand up to rub it lightly.

“Scott…” Jenna sighed, and he could picture the way her light brown curls were probably strewn across her pillow, going off in all directions like some crazy piece of modern art. “You have to let Patrice go. Just like you need to let _me_ go.” She huffed.

He swallowed roughly. “Yes, and I’m not seeing you in person anymore. That’s what everyone wanted, right?” He said, gesturing around his bedroom to no one in particular. “We’re done. For the good of the Crown, for the good of… everyone, really.” He shrugged.

“Yes.” Jenna said quietly. “I’m moving on, and so should you.”

Scott paused for a moment, studying the ceiling carefully, the phone pressed to his ear. He didn’t _want_ to let Jenna go. He’d never love anyone else like he loved her, he was sure of it. Jenna Anderson was his first and only true love.

Patch had been the one to encourage the relationship, at first, and told Scott to have some fun and be happy, be free while the Crown still allowed him to. But he’d retreated after he and the rest of the royal family had learned about Jenna’s background, and suddenly Scott’s relationship with her was under fire and scrutinized by the royals.

“But he…” Scott spoke up. “He said something in that letter, something that I just can’t stop thinking about. He talked about the infamous Prince of Canada, the one who abdicated for his true love. I remember reading about him, how his family disowned him and turned against him after he chose love over duty.”

“And?” Jenna prompted, after he was silent for a moment.

“And, of course, he would never be king.” He continued. “He thought it was better to be shunned than to live unhappily in what would probably be a loveless marriage. And after some thinking, it made me realize something.”

“What? That you’d never be king if you chose me?” Jenna scoffed, and Scott sighed.

“No,” He replied, a sense of dread beginning to rise in his throat. “Although, yes, I realize that now, too. But it was more of a realization about my mother, about my family. They’d do the same thing, they’re so dedicated to duty, you know, to the Crown.”

“What, disown you?” She laughed, but Scott didn’t. “Come on, Scott. You’re being ridiculous.”

 _No, I’m not,_ he wanted to say. _Not in the slightest._ “I’ve realized… that I’ve just replaced him, that old Prince of Canada.” He said slowly. “Jenna, I love you, but I don’t think you understand what’s going on here.”

Years of tradition would always win over feelings in the royal family. That was how it had always been, and how it would continue to be. Scott would never get the validation or the love he craved so much until he was king. If he didn’t break from all the weight on his shoulders before his coronation happened, that is.

“Until my mother dies, and I become the king, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to _truly_ live.”

* * *

**  
THE TOUR**

_Toronto, 2018_

“Do you know why we’ve asked you two here today?” His mother asked, sitting on one of the palace’s many expensive couches, next to his father. Scott and Tessa were seated across from them, on another couch. Beside him, Tessa shifted uncomfortably, clearly nervous.

“Because we’re less than six months into our marriage and there’s still no pregnancy announcement?” Scott smarted, and Tessa turned to look at him, her green eyes wide. He raised his hands, almost like a criminal would when they’d been caught by the police, both palms turned towards his parents. “Just saying. You know we need an heir.” He shrugged, and Alma looked at him with a pointed stare.

“No.” The Queen responded, looking at her son and daughter-in-law. “Although, that _is_ a conversation you two need to have at one point.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, the real reason we’re having this conversation is because—“

“You’re going on tour,” His father butted in, and his mother frowned.

“ _Joe_! Let me finish.” Alma said, glancing at her husband. “Yes, you’re going on tour. _Both_ of you.”

“Where?” Scott asked.

“ _Why_?” Tessa cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Because you two have barely been seen together in the four months since you got married, and it’s time for the both of you, mostly Tessa, to begin your royal duties.” The Queen said. “Scott, you’ve already been on tour a few times, so, for the most part, you know what to do. However, Tessa will need your help and your guidance.”

Alma paused, and Scott sensed that she was about to jump into a long story, something that mother often do when they’re trying to teach their children a lesson. But Scott wasn’t a child anymore, and there was really no lesson to be learned here.

“When your father and I toured the United States for a few months, a few years after you were born, it brought us closer together. We had to navigate many public appearances, and because we had each other, it was much less stressful than it would’ve been, had only one of us went alone. And, as you both know, the United States is very important to us. They’re our closest neighbor, and recently, they haven’t been, ah, very _interested_ in the monarchy.”

“Oh.” Tessa spoke up. “So, uh, you want us to go there for a few days to… explore?”

Scott stifled a laugh, and she looked at him, a quizzical expression on her face.

“What?” The princess asked.

“It wouldn’t be just for a few days,” He replied, gesturing for his mother to continue speaking.

“He’s right,” Alma said. “It _wouldn’t_ be just for a few days, and you’d be doing much more than just exploring.” She clasped her hands together, looking at Tessa. “It’s for three weeks. A week and a half in Los Angeles, and week and a half in New York. You’ll be leaving next week.”

“ _Oh_.” Tessa replied, her cheeks pink from embarrassment.

“You’ll team up.” The Queen explained. “Although Scott will be doing most of the speeches, since he _is_ heir to the throne, Tessa, you’ll be expected to accompany him almost everywhere. You’ll be touring important landmarks and buildings in both of these major cities. You’ll need to leave a good impression, to try to get the American people to start appreciating the Canadian monarchy again.”

“Okay.” Scott said, swallowing hard when Tessa reached over and grasped his hand. It was something she seemed to do when she was nervous, he’d realized. He didn’t mind, and always let her take it. She was under enough pressure already, so why not just let her have this one simple thing?

“Well then,” Alma said, getting to her feet. The other three royals stood, as well. “I think that’s all for now. I’ll leave you two to talk.” She said, gesturing to Scott and Tessa. Joe gave his son a curt nod, and shot his daughter-in-law a small smile, before following his wife out of the room.

Tessa stood there for a second, before clearing her throat. “Um,” She started, her voice quiet. “I guess I had better start packing.”

Scott sighed. “T, you know you have people to help you with that. You don’t need to do it all alone, or even start now.”

“What if I _want_ to?” She retorted, glancing at him. “I’m new to this _royalty_ thing, Scott, and I would like some alone time. Soon I’ll have to spend six weeks, and the rest of my life, I guess, with you.”

He stared at her, incredulous.

“Sorry,” She said, blinking. “I didn’t intend to sound… rude.”

“It’s okay.” Scott reassured her quietly. He thought that, had this been five months earlier, during their engagement, he would’ve left after saying that. But he remembered what his mother said about his great-great grandmother, the night before the wedding. How she’d married a man she didn’t love, but through mutual effort and respect, she and her husband had managed to love each other.

He let his head drop slightly, studying the elaborate rug that laid at his and Tessa’s feet.

“If you want to be alone,” He said finally, looking up at her. “Then I understand. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Tessa nodded, smiling a little. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Scott replied, before leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek softly. This time, the kiss took her less by surprise, and she blushed.

As he left the room, Scott took one last look at her. She hadn’t moved, and was looking at the artwork that hung around the large room, while fiddling with her ring.

He closed his eyes and exhaled softly, before quietly closing the door behind him.

This was going to be a long, but hopefully enjoyable, three weeks.

* * *

“ _The Prince and Princess of Canada have just arrived at LAX, with large crowds here to greet them. This isn’t Prince Scott’s first royal tour, but it is his wife’s, so this makes it their first tour together as a couple. Older Americans will remember when the Queen and her husband, Prince Joseph, toured the States back in 1989, to great success. The passing of the baton, so to speak, from Queen to heir makes it clear that the Prince is preparing to one day succeed his mother as King. One can only hope that the Prince and his wife will draw crowds as large as the ones seen here in 1989.”_

“That’s a lot of people,” Tessa commented, looking out the window of their private jet. The jet was parked near their gate, and the royal couple were waiting for the stairs to be attached to the plane, so they could make their exit.

A few hundred people were waiting on the tarmac below them, waving Canadian and American flags alike, as the police kept them at bay.

“Well, yeah.” Scott replied, leaning forward to join Tessa in looking at the crowd. “This is LAX, after all. Los Angeles. City of the Angels.”

“Yes, but—“ The Princess turned to him suddenly, her brown hair hitting him in the face. Scott blinked in surprise. “Sorry,” She said. “Anyway, the Queen said Americans weren’t all that interested in us anymore. So… I guess I was expecting less of a crowd.”

“We’re _royalty,_ Tess.” He said quietly, deciding to keep staring out the window instead of looking at his wife. “There will _always_ be a crowd gathered to see us. That’s just how it is.”

“Tess?” She repeated, staring at him with a mischievous smile on her face. “That’s new.”

“It just slipped out,” Scott grumbled, but he couldn’t fully hide the smile that was growing on his face. “Don’t expect me to always call you that.”

She raised her eyebrows, and he rolled his eyes.

“Your Royal Highness, the stairs have been put in place.” His private secretary interrupted. “Whenever you’re ready, sir. And you, too, ma’am.” He said, nodding at Tessa politely.

“Thank you,” Scott replied, clearing his throat and adjusting his cufflinks before getting up from his seat. His light gray suit and red pocket square paired nicely with Tessa’s deep red dress, and together, they represented the colors of Canada.

“You first.” He gestured at Tessa to get in front of him, and she looked at him in shock.

“No! You’re the future King, the only person here who was actually born into this family.” She replied, pushing him forward. “ _You’re_ always going to go first.”

He had to admit, she had a point.

“Okay,” Scott said finally. “Should we go?” He asked, eyeing the door of the plane.

As his eyes searched for and landed on his wife’s, he realized that he’d said a few words that were similar to the ones that Patch had told him, right before he was formally invested as the Prince of Canada, a little over ten years ago.

_For better or for worse, my boy, the Crown will one day land on your head. So I say we go._

“Yes,” She replied. He offered his arm out to her, and she took it.

As they reached the exit of the plane and descended down the white steps, gripping the railings for what seemed like dear life, the roar of the crowds grew louder and louder.

And, just like that, the newly married Prince and Princess of Canada’s three-week royal tour was off to quite a fine start.

* * *

Tessa had wilted like a flower without water after the first few days of the tour, and Scott wasn’t sure what to do.

She seemed to be drowning under the constant pressure, the seemingly never-ending paparazzi and camera crews following her and Scott around, and, of course, the early wake-up calls.

“I’m just not a morning person,” She’d grumbled, burying her head into her pillow as her alarm went off promptly at 6 AM.

“Well, maybe you should think about becoming one,” Scott had answered, shrugging his shoulders, from across their suite. The hotel had granted them two beds, and two large rooms, both of which were definitely fit for a royal.

Unlike Tessa, Scott, however, was enjoying the spotlight, like he often did. Tours and events provided him with attention that he never seemed to get from his own family, and he craved that terribly.

Today, the events on their schedule were ones that Scott was very much looking forward to. The two of them would be going to Griffith Observatory, where they would be given a private tour and the chance to meet the staff who worked there. After that, they would head to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, to look at the handprints from some of the most famous actors, athletes, and celebrities that lined the concrete sidewalk outside of the theatre.

The chance to see the Hollywood Sign had excited Tessa, and she seemed to be in a much better mood than she was previously. The sleek black car drove up to the Observatory, where the staff waited.

The tour was wonderful, and Scott was enjoying himself. He hoped Tessa was, too. Without the prying eyes of the paparazzi surrounding them, she seemed to relax. The entire place had closed down for the day, just fo them, which was nice.

“Did you ever see _La La Land_?” She asked him, as they sat on a bench outside the Observatory after their tour. “I’m thinking this might be the same bench that Mia and Sebastian sat on towards the end of the movie.”

“Never seen it,” He replied, and she raised her eyebrows. “Not all of it, anyway.” He corrected himself. “Just the part where they sneak in here.” Scott pointed a thumb towards the Observatory behind them.

“We should watch it sometime,” Tessa said, staring at the Hollywood Sign in the distance. “It’s a good movie.”

“Why would we watch something that ends badly?” He asked, and she shrugged.

“It doesn’t really end badly,” She replied, taking out her sunglasses from her bag. “It just happens to have an unhappy ending. That’s how life is, sometimes, I guess.”

Scott didn’t really know what to say to that. He glanced at Tessa, and the two were silent for a minute.

“That’s pretty unhappy, too,” She spoke up, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at the Hollywood Sign, the sunlight bouncing off of her ring.

“What, the sign?” Scott asked, the bright sun causing him to squint in order to look at the huge white letters.

“Yes.” Tessa said, matter-of-factly. “My mom had a book about old Hollywood, and I used to sneak over to our library and read it. It talked about an actress who jumped off the giant ‘H’ in the 1930’s. Her name was Peg Entwistle.”

“God,” Scott groaned. “That’s horrible.”

“It’s sad,” She replied, sighing. The sunglasses hid part of her expression, but Scott was sure that she was looking sad, too.

“Yeah.” He said, nodding slightly. The driver motioned for him to come over, and he got up, patting her on the back softly. “C’mon, T. We’ve got places to be.”

* * *

The drive to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre wasn’t a long one, on account of how most of the streets were blocked off so their car could get through. Scott thought that was extremely unnecessary, but Tessa actually loved it. He supposed she thought that the nearly empty streets were reflective of what would be waiting for them when they arrived at the theatre. Maybe she thought it would be private, like their tour of the Observatory was.

That wasn’t the case. The LAPD had set up barricades, those shitty metal ones that someone might see at a concert or at a stage door for a play, on either side of the whole block, allowing large crowds to gather on the sidewalks.

It was chaos. There was easily a couple hundred people, maybe even a thousand, standing there, cheering for royalty that weren’t even from their own country.

“This is a bigger crowd than there was at the airport the other day,” Tessa muttered, and Scott nodded, thankful for the tinted windows.

He turned to survey the crowd on his side of the car, only to feel a breeze hit his face a few seconds later. To his surprise, he saw that Tessa had rolled down her window.

“Tess, I really don’t think you should—“ Scott started, but stopped when he saw that Tessa was now waving to people. He mustered a polite smile and waved a few times as the car pulled up to the theatre.

“Sir, ma’am, the LAPD has informed us that you can meet with the crowds, if you want to. They’ve made it clear that everything is completely safe. Just stay behind the barricades.” Their security guard, who was sitting next to the driver, told them.

Tessa nodded, and Scott could see that she was warming up to the idea. He’d done this all before, albeit with far less people, and he knew what to do. Just shake a few hands, say _thank you_ and _you’re welcome,_ and smile and wave. It was a hot day, and while Tessa was wearing a white dress, his dark gray suit would definitely get uncomfortable after some time in the sun. Oh well. He’d handle it; he always did. He _had_ to.

“Hey,” He told her quietly, buttoning up his suit jacket and checking his cufflinks as they both prepared to get out of the car. “Do you think you’ll be fine? These situations can be stressful.”

She shrugged, smiling. “I’ll be okay. There’s a first time for everything, right?”

Scott nodded and opened his door.

While Tessa might’ve froze after seeing a crowd, she absolutely blossomed once she was in one, which surprised him.

The couple decided to meet with the crowds of people before looking at the autographs and handprints that decorated the cement, just so they could get things over with. Scott wasn’t expecting it to last for long. He always kept his interactions with the public short, but sincere.

His wife, however, was a completely different story. Tessa took her time with each person there, offering to take a selfie or ask them about their life or their interests. As he glanced over at her every now and then, Scott found himself shocked at how well she was handling all this. With the sun beating down on her face, her cheeks pink, and the wind occasionally snaking through her hair, she looked… _gorgeous_ , he realized. Like a true princess.

“Is this really your first royal tour of the country?” A man asked him, and Scott nodded.

“Yes, although I’ve made a few tours in my home country,” He responded, pausing to high-five a toddler. “This is _her_ first tour _ever_ , though.” Scott gestured towards Tessa on the other side of the road, eliciting a small gasp from the man and his group.

“Seriously?” The man gaped. “I mean, I don’t really know how these things work, but she seems like she’s a natural.”

“It’s the etiquette lessons,” Scott quipped, smiling, and the group standing in front of him laughed. He prepared to continue to make his way down the line of people standing behind the barricade, but another voice made him pause.

“Hey, sir, congrats, by the way.” Another person said, and Scott smiled politely. “You’re lucky to have her as the future Queen.”

“Thank you,” He replied, reaching to shake another hand.

“Hey, Scott, do you think she’ll come over to our side of the street, too? We really want to meet her!” Someone, he wasn’t exactly sure who, shouted.

“I’ll talk to her, don’t worry.” Scott said, looking around to find the person. “But, for now, you have me.” He beamed, and pretended not to notice the way the crowd’s smiles dimmed slightly.

Maybe he was just seeing things. They were only five days into a three-week tour, after all. He was probably just starting to overthink.

He caught Tessa’s eye a few moments later, and gestured for her to join him in the middle of the street. It was a bit strange to have a slightly private conversation in front of what was easily a thousand people, but he was okay with it. She walked over, brushing a hand through her dark brown hair, her eyes bright.

“What?” She asked innocently, scanning the crowd behind Scott before looking him in the eye.

“All good?” He asked her first, and she nodded. “Okay. The people have requested that we switch sides.”

“Oh.” She said plainly, nodding again. “Yeah, sure. Is security okay with it?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t they be?” Scott asked, blinking in surprise.

“No reason,” Tessa shrugged. “I just thought there was, like, a protocol, or something. I don’t know. It’s okay.”

“We don’t really have a set protocol for these things,” He explained. “They don’t happen very often.”

“Hey!” An especially loud voice, louder and more enthusiastic than the others, interrupted, making him turn around. It was someone near the man he’d been talking to earlier, Scott realized. “Kiss her!”

Scott scoffed, taken aback. Something like this had never happened on one of his royal tours before, but before this, he was always alone. Things like this were bound to happen now that he was married.

He leaned forward and quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek, and the crowd cheered. Tessa seemed to be trying to stifle her laughter, and might have been blushing. Or maybe she was slightly sunburned; he couldn’t really tell.

The couple parted, making their way to the crowds on the opposite sides of the street. The cheers and claps grew louder as Tessa reached what was formally Scott’s side of the street, and he swallowed, hard.

This wasn’t exactly what he was expecting, if he was honest.

* * *

**  
THE STAR**

“I don’t know, Mom.” Scott sat at the edge of his bed. Tessa was off FaceTiming her friends, which gave him time to call home. “It’s all a little overwhelming. Were the crowds this large when you and Dad toured the States back in ’89?”

“No, not at all,” The Queen replied, and Scott imagined that she was shaking her head, like she always seemed to do when answering a question with _No_. “Although, you know what I think it is? It’s the wedding. So many people watched that, from all over the world, so I think they’re just bursting at the chance to see real-life royalty.”

“Yeah, maybe,” He said. “Especially since they seem to prefer Tessa over me. I guess they really loved the dress.” Scott laughed half-heartedly.

“Oh, Scotty, that’s not true!” His mother said. “Although the dress _was_ gorgeous, I’m sure it’s just another part of the fairytale that people are buying into. Everybody loves a princess, especially one that just got married. In time, I’m sure they’ll grow to love a future king, too.”

Scott couldn’t exactly argue with that. He realized that he should’ve considered how people in a different country reacted to Canadian royalty. All eyes were on Tessa, since this was her very first royal tour. Scott was practically a pro at it now.

“How are things going?” Alma asked. “Any trouble?”

“No,” He said. “No trouble.”

After a few more minutes of conversation, he and his mom hung up, and Scott was left alone in his ( _their_ ) hotel room. Grabbing his earbuds, he decided to listen to some music. He hit shuffle on one of his playlists and closed his eyes, a familiar tune filling his ears.

_Riding high when I was king_

_Played it hard and fast_

_'Cause I had everything_

_You walked away, won me then_

_But easy come and easy go_

_And it would end_

_(Beggin') I'm beggin' you_

_Won't you give your hand out, baby_

_(Begging) beggin'_

_Put your loving hand out, baby_

Scott scoffed quietly. Of _course_ the shuffle feature would choose _Beggin_ ’ by The Four Seasons. How relevant. He sighed and let himself wind down for the night. It had been a long day.

_I need you to understand_

_That I tried so hard_

_To be your man_

_The kind of man you want in the end_

_Only then can I begin to live again_

_An empty shell_

_Used to be_

_Shadow of my life_

_Is hanging over me_

_Broken man without a throne_

_Won't even stand the devils dance_

_To win my soul_

_(Beggin') beggin' you_

_Won't you give your hand out, baby_

_(Beggin') beggin' you_

_Put your loving hand out, baby…_

* * *

The next week flew by, much to his surprise. He and Tessa did not make it to the beach, but that was okay with him. If they _had_ somehow managed to fit time into their busy schedule for some time to relax in the sand, he was sure that the paparazzi would’ve followed them there, and honestly, Scott did _not_ want his beach pictures circulating in magazines and on the internet.

Tessa was really coming out of her shell, and her shy demeanor was slowly being replaced by a more confident one. Scott was proud of her, but there was a part of him that wanted to be center stage in the spotlight, too. Luckily, they were now on their way to New York, where he would be making a speech.

The cross-country plane ride seemed to be excruciatingly long, and Tessa was quiet.

“Are you tired?” He asked, and she shrugged.

“I wouldn’t really call it _tired_. I’m just…”

“Worn out?” Scott offered, and she nodded, leaning back against the seat.

“Are your tours always this busy?” She asked. “I feel like I’m going to sleep for days when we get back to the palace.”

Scott paused for a moment, then shook his head. “No, not from what I can remember. My most recent tour wasn’t really like this, it was more of, ah… meeting important people and going to business meetings, I guess. I talked to the Queen last week, and she said we had a bigger turnout in LA than she and Dad did in 1989.”

“Oh.” Tessa blinked in surprise. “ _Wow_.”

Scott nodded. “She was very impressed. Said you, well, _we_ were having a fairytale moment.” He laughed quietly, and she smiled.

“What was your first tour like?” She asked him quietly, propping up her right cheek with her fist after placing her elbow on the armrest.

He sighed. “It was almost ten years ago. I did it completely solo, too, because I had just gotten formally invested as the Prince of Canada.”

“I remember watching that,” Tessa interrupted him, grinning. “It was on CBC.”

“Yeah, and on just about every other major broadcasting channel in the world.” He scoffed, and they both laughed. “Anyway, I went to almost every major city in Canada for two weeks straight, which _wasn’t_ televised. It was exhausting, but I eventually got used to it.”

“Hmmm,” Tessa hummed. “How was wearing the crown? Was it heavy?” She asked, referring to the moment during his investiture when the Queen placed a coronet on his head while he held the sword and rod typically held by all previous Princes of Canada during their investitures.

“It’s not a _crown_ , it’s a _coronet_ ,” He corrected her jokingly. “But, um, yes, it was a little heavy.”

He remembered slight weight of it on his head, the way he looked his mother straight in the eye after he’d proudly proclaimed to “ _become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship, and faith and truth I will bear unto thee, to live and die against all manner of folks,_ ” just moments earlier. He’d scanned the crowd for Jenna, but she wasn’t there. She told him afterwards that she’d simply watched it on TV, like “almost everybody else did.”

If he was honest, the weight of the rod and sword in his hands was heavier than the golden coronet, along with the weight of being the future _King_. He supposed that someday, he’d actually have to wear the crown, and he wondered briefly if it would be heavier than the coronet.

Tessa _hmmm_ ed again, knocking him out of his reverie, before turning to look out the window.

A few minutes later, Scott decided to occupy himself but flipping through the magazines that were available to read. He grabbed one, and was shocked by the headline on the cover, which read _Princess Makes A Splash in Sunny California_.

Sighing slightly, he decided to read farther.

_The new Princess Tessa of Canada is absolutely delighting Americans here in Los Angeles. The Princess and her husband, Prince Scott – the heir to the throne, took the time to meet with crowds outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre last week. The newly married Prince and Princess explored Los Angeles over the past week and a half, as a part of their three week royal tour of the States. Next up, the couple visits New York City, where the Princess is expected to charm residents of the East Coast, just as she charmed all of us here on the West Coast recently._

Scott remembered something his mother had said about his father some time ago. Since Joe would never become King, and would eventually die as just a prince, Alma had referred to him as the “supporting act” in their marriage. He’d thought it would be the same in his marriage to Tessa. The heir was supported by their spouse. However, right now, he felt like _he_ was the one supporting Tessa.

He clenched his jaw slightly, and put the magazine away. This would pass once they got back to Canada, he was sure of it.  
  


* * *

There were more press at JFK than there were bystanders, and Scott was strangely grateful for that. Of course, it was also late at night, and he supposed that New Yorkers didn’t particularly want to stay up to see royalty from a completely different country.

New York was loud and busy at night, and Scott finally understood why people said that the city never slept. There was always _something_ happening on every corner, and Times Square was still bustling with activity when they drove by. Occasionally, people would honk or cheer when they saw the little Canadian flag attached to the front of the sleek black car. The small flag was waving in the night air, and Scott watched it from the backseat. Beside him, Tessa was looking out the window, enthralled by the skyscrapers that seemed to reach up to the clouds.

He sighed. Their itinerary was busier than their schedule in LA, and Scott was tired just thinking about what they had in store for the next week and a half.

Tomorrow night, they would be attending a charity ball at the Plaza Hotel, where they would also be staying. The next day, they’d have a day off. Their break wouldn’t be for long, though, because the day after that, Scott would be making a speech at the Museum of Modern Art, as a part of their annual Film Benefit. The next night, they’d been invited to attend a performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of _Carmen_.

There were more events, ones that Scott couldn’t recall off of the top of his head. He was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to arrive at their hotel and fall into bed.

After about twenty minutes, the car pulled up to the hotel, and he realized with a start that Tessa had fallen asleep. Her head was resting gently on the tinted window, and her mouth had fallen open ever-so-slightly.

“Hey,” He hissed quietly, tapping her on the shoulder softly. “Tess, we’re here.”

She yawned. “I thought you said you wouldn’t call me that anymore.”

He exhaled, shrugging slightly. “Like I said before, it just slipped out. You have a very… unique name.”

Tessa scoffed. “Yeah, and you have, like, three middle names.”

“Hey, that’s _not_ the same thing as having an interesting first name,” Scott protested, but Tessa was already opening one of the car doors.

“The name _Scott Patrick Joseph Alexander Moir_ ,” She started, getting out of the car. “Is _absolutely_ comparable to being known as _Lady Tessa Jane of House Virtue_.”

“How so?” He asked curiously, getting out of the car and following her up the carpeted red steps of the Plaza Hotel, security following closely behind.

“Because they’re both _ridiculously_ long names.” She commented, and he stifled a laugh as they entered the quiet, ornate lobby.

“Mine is longer,” He teased.

“I am well aware of that.”

* * *

Their suite, which was aptly named the Royal Suite, was huge. It featured a private elevator, a large bathroom which included heated floors, a living room, and an immense master bedroom.

With only one bed.

This wasn’t exactly a _problem_ for them, per se, but the royal family had quite a strict rule about bedrooms. In the event that there was, God forbid, to be a break-in in the palace, it was essential that any royal couple was separated, and slept in separate beds, and preferably, in separate bedrooms. This was because, if there was an intruder, the setup would allow them to only harm or see only one royal. It was all a matter of security.

However, both Scott and Tessa had the best security available to them on this trip, _and_ their suite was only accessible via private elevator, so Scott wasn’t worried.

After the butler dropped their suitcases down in the bedroom and promptly left, the couple were left standing there, taking it all in.

“Well,” Tessa commented dryly, eyeing the king-sized bed. “Maybe we can finally have that conversation that your mother so desperately wants us to have.”

“Huh?”

“Remember when she called us in a few weeks ago, and you were all, “ _Oh, is this about the fact that there’s no pregnancy announcement?_ ” Tessa reminded him, doing a shockingly good impression of her voice. “It seems like the hotel has given us a perfectly good reason to begin prepping for that announcement.”

“ _Jesus_ , Tessa.” Scott sucked in a breath.

“Come _on_ ,” She told him, throwing a hand up briefly in slight exasperation. “I know this week is going to be the first time we’ve ever slept in the same bed together, thanks to this monarchy’s old rules. Might as well put it to good use, huh?”

“Uh, there’s a couch in the living room. You could sleep on that.” Scott offered, feeling awkward.

“Absolutely not,” Tessa told him. “This bed looks comfortable.”

To prove her point, she flopped down onto the bed, her dark brown hair spreading out in all directions.

Scott swallowed thickly. If her hair had been lighter, and the bed was just a bit less expensive, he could’ve mistaken her for Jenna. He remembered one of their last late-night phone calls, three years ago, when he imagined she was sprawled out on her bed like Tessa currently was.

He hadn’t thought of her in months, and now here he was, thinking of his ex-girlfriend while staring at his wife. _Great_.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked him innocently, and _ah_ , there was the Tessa he recognized from just a few months ago, when she was still a shy princess-to-be.

“You,” He answered honestly, and she scoffed, before propping herself up on her elbows.

“You’re ridiculous.” She replied, and Scott nodded, slipping out of his shoes.

“I am.”

“But I married you anyway.”

“You did.” He said simply, laying down on the bed next to her. They stared at the simple white ceiling, and listened to the cars drive by outside, a few dozen floors below their window. As they laid on the bed in silence, Scott felt guilty for even being just _slightly_ jealous of his wife’s growing popularity. He hated himself for even _briefly_ thinking that her stardom was a problem for him and his ego. She wasn’t a foe, she was his _partner_ , and after all, it was only natural that she’d get more attention than usual during her very first royal tour.

He remembered what his mother had told him months earlier, as they both watched the fireworks together the night before the royal wedding. Her words about his great-great grandparent’s marriage seemed very relevant at the present moment.

_And, although they didn’t know much about each other at first, they both made an effort to get along. Not for themselves, but for the country. Through that mutual effort, they began to admire and respect each other. And, eventually, that respect and admiration grew into love._

He could tell that he and Tessa were, slowly but surely, beginning to head down the same path that his great-great grandparents did.

“Hey,” Scott said quietly. “Are you handling everything well, do you think?”

She nodded, making the sheets on the bed crumple slightly. “Yeah, I think so. Why do you ask?” Tessa turned her head towards him, and he shrugged.

“Just wondering.” He responded, turning to face her. “You seem to be settling into this role pretty nicely.”

“Well, then I guess the etiquette lessons are working,” She joked, and they both laughed softly.

“Good,” He said. “That was the intended effect. To get you—“

“To get me out of my shell?” Tessa interrupted, one side of her mouth tugging upwards into a smile.

“Actually, I was going to say something along the lines of _To get you well-versed in royal history and prepared for a large amount of different informal and formal events_ , but that works well, too.” Scott replied, sitting up.

She sat up too, so now they were both cross-legged, facing each other on the bed.

“I’m proud of you,” He said, and he really meant it. “Adapting to something like this isn’t necessarily easy.”

“Thank you,” Tessa replied, her voice soft and sincere. “I think I was always up to the challenge.” She shrugged, and Scott nodded, recalling what Jordan Virtue has said to him over the phone when he first called her to speak about her younger sister.

 _My friends and I, we used to call her_ Duchy _, short for_ Duchess _, because we all thought that she was destined for greater things. I think she did, too._

“Duchy, right?” He smirked, and she gawked after him, her face turning a light shade of pink. “Destined for greater things?”

“How did you know?” She gasped, before reaching for a throw pillow and swatting him lightly with it.

“Your sister told me about it,” He replied, catching the pillow and placing it back in its original spot.

“ _Ohhhh_ ,” She muttered darkly, seemingly trying to direct rage at her older sister. “Of _course_ she’d tell you that.”

Scott chuckled. “I guess I was the ‘greater thing’ you were destined for,” He said, and Tessa rolled her eyes.

“Don’t say that,” She groaned. “The tabloids and the media would absolutely eat that up, just like they’re already obsessed with the whole _fairytale_ thing.”

“Well, royal life comes with a price,” He shrugged. “Just… don’t rely _too_ much on attention and praise, okay?” Scott said sincerely.

She nodded.

“I would hate to see this part of you go away,” He said quietly, and Tessa blinked.

“What?”

“The Tessa who’s with me right now,” Scott replied. “You know, the one who sprawls out on expensive New York beds with me and listens to cars drive by, the one who suggests we watch _La La Land_ , the one who dances like no one is watching and takes her former students to skating rinks, the one who won Pictionary at the castle… that’s the Tessa I married. I just… I don’t want you to become some caricature, a fake who enjoys attention a little _too_ much.”

She was silent for a moment, looking at him in the most peculiar way.

“Oh.” She said finally, clearing her throat and tearing her gaze away from him. “Thank you. That’s… that’s very nice of you.”

Scott mouthed a “ _you’re welcome_ ,” and got up off the bed. “It’s late,” He said. “I’m dying to take this suit off.”

He excused himself, and Tessa got up, presumably to start her night routine, too.

After tugging off his shoes and socks and grabbing his pajamas, Scott made his way to the bathroom, where his feet were pleasantly warmed by the heated floor. He pulled off his suit and put on his pajamas, which were nothing more than simple plaid pajama pants and a t-shirt.

“Did you know,” Scott called out, after re-entering the bedroom and preparing to hang up his suit jacket. “That I actually got my shirt from a palace security guard? That’s why it says _Palace Security_ on the front right corner.”

“It’s pretty cool, eh?” He continued after shutting the closet door, turning around to see Tessa in her pajamas: a tank-top and shorts. “The font is pretty nice.”

Tessa nodded, watching him silently as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He stared at her. They were only a few feet away from each other, and he could tell that she was pushing her toes into the carpet rather uncomfortably. _I guess she’s nervous,_ he thought, and remembered the couch in the living room.

“Look, the couch is still an available option if you _really_ don’t want to slee—“

Scott’s sentence was cut off as Tessa swiftly closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his, bending down slightly because he was seated. She tasted like vanilla, and he could detect a hint of strawberries in her hair. His neck was at a slightly uncomfortable angle, so he pushed himself off the bed and stood, thankful that he was just a few inches taller than her.

They broke apart, both taking deep breaths, and Scott blinked in surprise.

“So, I’m guessing that you _don’t_ want to sleep on the couch?” He broke the silence, and she scoffed.

“Of course not,” She said, slightly exasperated, and glanced at the bed. “I told you earlier, the bed looks comfortable.”

“Okay,” He replied, raising his eyebrows and smiling at her. “I was just asking.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide her smile. “You’re ridiculous.” She said, for the second time that night.

“I am,” Scott repeated, grinning proudly. “ _But_ , you married me. And you just kissed me.”

“I did.” Tessa said, leaning over and kissing him again before moving to the other side of the bed. “Goodnight, sweet prince.”

“How long have you been waiting to say that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps when I started dreaming of being destined for greater things.”

This time, it was _him_ swatting her with a pillow, not the other way around.

“Goodnight, wife.”

* * *

“Of course being a princess would require I go to a _ball_.” Tessa said the next night, helping Scott straighten out his bowtie.

“It’s not a _ball_ , it’s a charity dinner.” He reminded her gently. “It just happens to take place in a ballroom, and it involves dancing.”

“They marketed it as a ball.” She replied, raising a singular eyebrow, and he put his hands up in defeat.

“Okay, I guess I was slightly wrong.” He said, reaching for her hair. “Here, a strand of your hair came loose. Let me help—“

“It’s supposed to be like that,” Tessa informed him, gesturing towards the two strands of hair that had apparently gotten loose from her bun, and now framed her face. The hairstyle paired well with her velvet maroon dress, which had a deep v-neck and a mesh collar and sleeves. “How do I look?”

“Am I supposed to answer that like I’m a fashion expert, or like I’m your husband?”

She shot him a look. “I’m going to take that as a good sign. You, on the other hand, look absolutely _princely._ ”

Scott looked at her, and then looked at his simple black suit, which had a small Canadian flag pinned on it. “Ok, um, are you telling me that as a wife, or as a princess?”

“I’m telling you that as a future _queen_.” Tessa replied, and Scott suddenly thought he desperately needed a glass of water.

* * *

The charity ball was an immense success, so much so that the Queen called to say that she’d seen clips of her son and daughter-in-law slow dancing. Scott had smiled at the memory of Tessa’s hand in one of his, as her other hand gripped his shoulder and his gripped her waist. It was truly a memorable night.

Tessa was an excellent dancer, and that was what the press decided to focus on in their write-ups of the night. They chose to praise her sense of style, the dress designed by famed Canadian fashion designer Mathieu Caron, and her seemingly laid-back and gracious personality. Scott was proud of her, he really was, but there was still that small part of him that longed for the same amount of attention. However, he was still sure that this would pass once they returned home. The American media wasn’t always the kindest to everyone, after all.

The Canadian media reiterated the American media’s praise of Tessa’s dancing and style, but also complimented Scott and Tessa as a couple, which pleased the prince.

_In America, it may seem like the princess is the savior of the modern monarchy, but it may also be a mutual effort – a newlywed couple trying to keep the royals relevant by meeting with the common people._

The next day was spent mostly in their suite, as they took a break from the whirlwind tour and relaxed. Scott received the copy of his speech that he would be making the next night at the Museum of Modern Art, and Tessa decided to order food from the private chef rather than risk burning down the whole hotel while attempting to cook.

There was no conversation about an heir, although both of them knew what needed to be done. They both participated in a lengthy FaceTime call with her sister and her mother, which Scott thought was quite fun.

He could only hope that the next day would be as wonderful as the past few days had been.

* * *

  
**THE FIGHT**

“I’ve been meaning to tour the United States for quite a while,” Scott stood in front of the microphone, trying to avoid looking directly into the harsh spotlight. Tessa sat a few feet away from him, in an emerald green floor-length dress with small sparkles decorating it and thin spaghetti straps. A simple silver necklace with the Arms of Canada on it rested around her neck, and the Virtue Family tiara, the same one she’d worn to the wedding, sat on her head.

“This tour was only finalized quite recently, just a few weeks before we got married. At that time, everyone was saying, _Good luck_ , _I hope everything goes well_ , and _How lucky you are to be engaged to such a lovely lady._ ” Scott grinned, and flipped to the next page of his speech. “And, well, somehow I’m lucky enough to be married to her.” He said, and the crowd _awww_ ’ed, before erupting in laughter.

Scott turned to see Tessa smirking slightly, before making eye contact with him and smiling widely. He laughed quietly, before swallowing thickly and returning to his speech.

“But that’s really not the point of tonight. As pleased as I am to be appearing here tonight with my wife, I am even _more_ pleased to be honoring some of the greatest names in the film industry. These are the people who have gone above and beyond, and truly made film a place where we’re all able to escape and immerse ourselves in different worlds.”

Scott continued to talk, but he had seemed to have lost the crowd’s attention. They seemed to be more focused on watching Tessa watch _him,_ rather than being interested in the topic at hand and the whole reason why they’d all come to the Film Benefit in the first place: to recognize some of the best names in the film industry. And Tessa seemed to be soaking it all up.

Apparently, she hadn’t taken his words about being wary of relying on attention and praise to heart.

* * *

“Pathetic,” Scott muttered after the benefit had ended, stalking into their huge suite.

“What was?” Tessa asked, her voice tense as she carefully removed her tiara. “Your speech?”

He scoffed. “I don’t even _write_ my speeches. They’re all carefully written out and researched by a myriad of the nation’s greatest historical writers, to ensure that-“

“That you don’t make a fool of yourself?” Tessa replied, crossing her arms across her chest and arching one perfect eyebrow.

“No,” Scott said, his voice low. “But what you did tonight, that stunt, that made a fool out of me.”

“How so?” She asked coolly, staring at him as he removed his suit jacket.

“Because,” He started. “This tour was _years_ in the planning. It was always supposed to be my tour. _My_ tour, as Prince of Canada, to visit one of our key allies and friends. And you’re treating this like it’s some sort of game. Like it’s a joke.”

“All I did was _smile_. I was supporting you.” Tessa replied, and Scott clenched his jaw.

“That wasn’t—“ He sputtered. “It wasn’t— It didn’t seem like that to me.”

“Well, then, what _did_ it seem like?” Tessa asked, unclasping her necklace and placing it back in its box. She studied him curiously, but Scott didn’t look her in the eye. “Did you think that I somehow managed to steal your _spotlight_?” She said, incredulous.

“ _No_ ,” Scott said carefully. “It just seemed like they were more interested in watching you look at me than they were in the speech I was making.”

She continued to stare at him, and Scott finally made eye contact with her.

“Is it possible,” He began. “That there is a part of you that is enjoying this attention rather _too_ much?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tessa asked, and he sighed.

“Just answer the question!” Scott said, exasperated. “Look, as the heir to the throne, I am constantly under stress. I fear I might break from it someday. And you... you’re able to just flaunt around like a celebrity. You’re acting like you’re just some sort of figurehead.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?” She asked, her green eyes wide. “I’ve only been a princess for nearly five months, Scott. It’s not like I have a multitude of tasks to complete.”

“And I _do_! I’m the one making the speeches around here!” He replied, his voice growing. “And because of you—“

“Because of me, people are _interested_.” Tessa shot up. “Because of me, Americans are paying more attention to the Crown. And that was the whole point of this tour, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but because of you, people are laughing in my face, booing the heir to the throne!” Scott said, his face growing red.

Tessa didn’t respond for a moment. “Well,” She said finally, her voice low. “Maybe my sister was right. Maybe you _are_ a bit too immature to be king. Right now, you’re acting like some petulant man-child, who’s mad because he didn’t get the same amount of attention.”

“Perhaps we should go back to avoiding each other in the palace once this tour is over.” She said coolly, before walking towards the living room. “That seemed to work well for us.”

* * *

The plane ride back to Canada a few days later was excruciatingly awkward, and neither of them said a word. The rest of the tour had gone well, as well as it could when a couple were on bad terms with each other. Tessa had continued to act like a figurehead, smiling and enjoying the spotlight, which had irked Scott in more ways than one.

When they finally touched down in Toronto, there was a large crowd of bystanders and press there to meet them. The royal couple both plastered fake smiles on their faces, before dropping the act as soon as they sat down in the car, the tinted windows hiding their displeasure.

The Queen greeted them at the palace, holding a armful of magazines which all proudly proclaimed what a success the tour had been. Tessa was polite as ever, greeting her mother-in-law with a kiss on either cheek, before making her way towards her living quarters.

Scott did the same, passing by a cart full of fan-mail for the Princess as he walked down the hallway.

He wasn’t sure how long he laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was late evening, and the sun was going down, casting strange shadows across his room, when his private secretary knocked on the door.

“Sir,” He said. “You have a visitor.”

“If it’s the Princess of Canada, tell her I’m not available.” Scott replied, getting up off of his bed.

“It’s not, sir.” The private secretary informed him. “This is a visitor from outside the palace.”

This caused Scott to frown slightly. Who could possibly be visiting him right now?

He opened his door and followed the man down the hallway and through the palace, before descending from the grand staircase and arriving at the entryway.

“Your Royal Highness,” The visitor greeted him, curtsying politely.

“ _Jenna_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a third and final chapter, which will (hopefully) be posted in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I did an embarrassing amount of research for it, LOL.


	3. forelsket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the tour, Scott and Tessa struggle with communicating with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, here it is. Sorry for those who’ve waited so long for this to be posted! I got carried away with school and didn’t have as much time as I’d have liked to finish this fic.
> 
> This chapter is inspired by multiple scenes in Season 4 of The Crown. To avoid spoilers, I’ll discuss them more in the notes at the end.

_“No man, however truly he loved his betrothed and bride as a young man, has lived faithful to her as a wife in mind and body without deliberate conscious exercise of the will, without self-denial. Too few are told that – even those brought up ‘in the Church’. Those outside seem seldom to have heard it. When the glamour wears off, or merely works a bit thin, they think they have made a mistake, and that the real soul-mate is still to find. The real soul-mate too often proves to be the next sexually attractive person that comes along. Someone whom they might indeed very profitably have married, if only –. Hence divorce, to provide the ‘if only’. And of course they are as a rule quite right: they did make a mistake. Only a very wise man at the end of his life could make a sound judgement concerning whom, amongst the total possible chances, he ought most profitably to have married! Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might have found more suitable mates. But the ‘real soul-mate’ is the one you are actually married to.”_

_—_ JRR Tolkien

* * *

**  
THE VISITOR**

“It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been here,” Jenna commented, following Scott up the grand staircase and towards the hallway that led to his living quarters. “Honestly, I barely remember where your apartment even _is._ This whole place is like some sort of maze.”

Scott nodded, but stayed silent. It had been almost two years since Jenna had last visited the palace, and although almost nothing had changed, he understood where she was coming from. Such a huge place _could_ seem quite confusing to a person if they hadn’t visited it in a while.

When they were both finally in his living quarters, her sitting sitting comfortably in a chair and him on his couch in his living room, Jenna spoke up again.

“I just wanted to stop by and offer an incredibly belated congratulations to you about your wedding. You probably know this, but I wasn’t able to come, because—“

“Because the guest list filled up too fast?” Scott said dryly, and she scoffed.

“No, it was because I wasn’t a priority. I don’t even think I would’ve been on the list, had it not filled up so quickly.” She shrugged, pushing a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear.

“I don’t think they would’ve wanted you there, anyway.” Scott muttered, not looking her in the eye.

“Who?”

“The Establishment. My parents.” He said, leaning back on the couch. “It would’ve been such a big deal to the press, you know they’d never shut up about it.”

Jenna nodded, sighing. “Well, I had a wonderful time watching it on TV, just like almost everyone else. It’s not every day that something like that happens.”

“No, it isn’t.” Scott agreed quietly.

“How are you doing?” Jenna asked, cocking her head to one side, which was something that Scott had always found endearing. “You just got back from your tour, right?”

He nodded. “Yes. It was, um, a success. For the both of us.”

It wasn’t totally a lie, of course. They’d both done their job, and publicly, the tour _was_ a massive success. Privately, however, it was not.

“You know, I’ve never met her,” Jenna said suddenly, leaning forward in her chair. “What’s she like?”

“Tessa?” He replied, his eyes going wide.

“Yes, silly! Who else?” Jenna laughed. “She’s your _wife_ , after all. The future queen. Tell me about her.”

Wow. What a loaded question that was. Telling his ex-girlfriend, his first love, about his _wife_? What could he possibly say? _Oh, she used to be terribly shy, but then she got so popular that she eventually crawled out of her shell, and we just had a falling out because I’m jealous of her success._

“She’s sweet,” Scott said finally, forcing a smile. “You two should go out for lunch sometime, or something like that.”

“That sounds great,” She said, beaming. “I’ll get in touch with her. If I said that I know you, then they’d let me contact her, right?”

“Hopefully,” Scott replied, shrugging. “If not, I’ll try to tell her about your plans.”

He hoped that it wouldn’t come to that. Like Tessa said, maybe avoiding each other would work out better for them.

“Good.” Jenna said, promptly getting up from her chair. “Anyway, I think I should go. It was wonderful to catch up with you.”

Scott realized that he’d never even asked Jenna how she’d been, but then again, did it really matter that much? She was never supposed to arrive at the palace again, and she was definitely _not_ supposed to be sitting in his living quarters. She’d moved on, and all she wanted to do was catch up for a moment, and congratulate him. That was all.

She didn’t belong here.

He escorted her out of his apartment, and together they walked down the huge hallway. The same cart full of fan-mail was sitting outside Tessa’s door, although it was emptier now. As Scott and Jenna passed by the Princess’s door, it opened suddenly.

The Princess stood there, dressed in a red sweater and white pants, holding a handful of letters that she’d answered. Tessa blinked, her mouth dropping open slightly at the sight of Scott and Jenna standing near her door, but she quickly composed herself, putting the letters back on the cart and grabbing another handful of fan-mail.

“Hello,” She said quietly, nodding her head in the duo’s direction. Jenna barely had time to curtsy to her before she closed the door.

“Well, she seems lovely,” was all Jenna managed to say. Scott _hmmm_ ed in response.

The duo made their way down the grand staircase again, and, after one final goodbye, Jenna was escorted out of the palace.

Scott looked around at the huge, empty entryway and the staircase behind him, his hands shoved into his pockets. He realized, with a start, that he didn’t exactly _miss_ Jenna’s incredibly sociable personality. She could be too much, sometimes, and although he could also be extremely outgoing, he needed breaks. Jenna seemingly didn’t. She _always_ needed to talk. The thought of motormouth Jenna and introverted Tessa talking to each other seemed like a nightmare, almost. They couldn’t be more different.

He sighed and walked back up the stairs, and through the hallways, before stopping at Tessa’s door again. The cart, which was still full of mail and still positioned outside her door, hadn’t moved.

Scott knocked, loud enough that she _knew_ she’d be able to hear it from inside her apartment, and noticed that light was visible from under her door.

“Tessa?” He said, but there was no response. She was definitely there, somewhere on the other side of the door, but she was just ignoring him. Scott exhaled quietly, letting his hand slowly run down the white door, before turning away and walking back towards his rooms.

Sometimes, he figured, silence spoke louder than words.

* * *

  
A few days later, Scott was called down to the first floor of the palace, where the family’s offices were and the palace employees worked. The hallways were bustling with activity, and employees seemed to be constantly entering and exiting the many rooms and offices. His father had once told him that this was where all of the magic _really_ happened. This was where the many secretaries worked, where the security watched over everything, and where the official palace correspondents communicated with the press and, occasionally, the public.

The employees all hurriedly bowed to him as he quickly made his way towards his private secretary’s office.

“Martin,” He said, walking into the office. “What’s up?”

“There’s mail for you, sir,” The older man replied, reaching across his desk to grab an envelope. “Well, not for _you_ , really. It’s for your wife.”

Scott simply stared at him, furrowing his brows slightly. _Huh?_

“The sender tried to get in contact with the Princess’ private secretary, but was unsuccessful.” Martin explained, handing Scott the off-white envelope. “So, she asked me to forward it to you, instead.”

“Oh.” He said, taking the envelope gingerly. There, on the front, in Jenna’s unmistakable cursive, was Tessa’s title, _Her Royal Highness Princess Tessa of Canada._

Hm. So Jenna _was_ serious about getting in touch with Tessa.

“Thank you,” He said, fidgeting with the envelope slightly. “I’ll pass it on to her.” Martin bowed his head slightly, and Scott left the office.

He ran his finger down the edge of the envelope as he walked up the stairs, deciding to choose a different route instead of making his way up the grand staircase. Before he knew it, he was walking down the hallway, towards Tessa’s apartment.

“Tess?” He knocked on her door. “There’s a letter here for you.”

There was no answer. Scott waited for a minute, and just as he was about to raise his hand to knock on the door again, it opened suddenly, revealing a bored-looking Tessa.

“Mail? From who?” She asked, eyeing the envelope carefully.

“Jenna Anderson,” He answered, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “She’s, uh, she’s an old friend of mine, and she just wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh.” Tessa said, taking the envelope from him. “Thank you.”

“If you ever wanted company,” Scott said quietly, shooting her a polite smile. “She’s the _best_ company.”

Tessa nodded slowly, still not looking at him. She muttered one last “ _Thank you_ ,” and shut the door, leaving Scott in the hallway.

He sighed, studying his shoes for a moment before walking down the hallway. This could either go terribly, or really, really well.

Whatever way Tessa and Jenna’s inevitable conversation went, he was _not_ particularly looking forward to the outcome.

* * *

  
Tessa stared at the elaborate dessert that was on the plate in front of her. When Jenna, someone she barely knew, asked if she’d be okay with going to a restaurant that she’d never been to before, Tessa was skeptical. But Jenna had promised that the press and paparazzi wouldn’t know, and so the princess gave in.

Besides, Tessa would never admit it, but she was _bored_. And lonely. In the week following the tour, she and Scott hadn’t seen each other at all, save for the brief interactions in the hallway and polite dinner conversations with the Queen and Prince Joe.

She just wanted someone to talk to. And Jenna Anderson was someone that she seemingly had quite a lot in common with.

“Isn’t this place just _amazing?_ ” Jenna commented, gently stabbing her cake with a fork. “It’s practically a chocolate lover’s dream.”

Tessa nodded, but stayed silent.

“I took the Prince of Canada here once, but he didn’t like it as much as I thought he would.” Jenna mentioned, and Tessa blinked, cocking her head to one side.

“With friends?” Tessa asked, and the other woman shook her head.

“No, it was just us.” She replied. “I mean, _I_ thought it was great, which is why I invited you here today.”

“Oh.” Tessa said, and remembered something Scott had told her early on into their tour. “Well, he doesn’t like desserts all that much. He’s more of a dinner guy.”

Jenna nodded. “Yes, I really should’ve thought of that before I took him here.” She cleared her throat. “But anyway, how is royal life treating you? I saw that your tour was a big success.”

“Oh, it’s been nice, so far.” The princess replied, setting her napkin in her lap. “It’s been sort of difficult to get used to all the attention, but I think I’m managing it well.”

“That’s nice.” Jenna replied, tucking a stray strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. “Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve been cut out for the job. All that attention would go to my head too easily!” She laughed, and Tessa smiled politely.

“Yes, that part’s been a bit of a struggle.” She replied, her smile becoming more forced. Her attention hadn’t yet gone to her own head, but it had definitely gone to her husband’s. Tessa couldn’t help the fact that people loved her as their princess more than they loved Scott as their prince.

“Although, we _are_ going up to the castle in about a month, a few weeks after the Prince’s birthday celebration.” Tessa said, taking a sip of her water. “So I think that’ll be a much-needed change of pace for everyone in the palace.”

_Hopefully, we’ll be on good terms by then._

_“Ohhh,_ the castle!” Jenna gushed, placing a hand over her heart. “It’s just gorgeous, isn’t it? I’m still quite sad that I only got to go there once.”

Tessa eyed her curiously.

“Of course you’d be able to go again, after all, you passed the tests and married him!” Jenna shrugged, grinning, and Tessa blinked in surprise.

“You… know about the tests?” She asked, incredulous. _How?_

Jenna nodded, dabbing her lips with her napkin. “Yes,” She said, staring down at her plate, almost like she was remembering something she hadn’t thought of in a long, long time. “I was actually tested myself, and I almost passed, although I don’t suppose he told you about that.”

Tessa paused. “How did you— I mean, what did you miss? Or do wrong?” She asked, eyeing the other woman carefully.

“I had a life,” Jenna scoffed, and Tessa decided to leave the conversation at that.

The two women were quiet for a few moments, and the only sound that could be heard was the normal background noise and clinks of silverware in the large restaurant.

“Well, I also love the castle.” Tessa began, smiling politely. “It’s very nice.”

Jenna nodded, taking another bite of her cake. “So, do you see yourself living in the city or in the country?” She asked, and Tessa frowned slightly, unsure of how to respond.

“Oh, probably the city,” She replied. “Although I do love the country, especially in the fall, when the leaves turn all those pretty colors.” Tessa stared at her. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason, really.” Jenna shrugged. “I mean, you most likely already know that the Royal Family are country people at heart.”

Tessa nodded, staring intently at the cheesecake on her plate in front of her. “Yes, of course. My family — the Virtues — used to rent out one of their estates over the summer.”

She remembered the royal estate’s sprawling fields and wilderness that covered the area behind the mansion. The mansion itself was quite similar to her family’s own estate, with its multitude of rooms and large paintings hanging on the walls. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget being a child and racing through the huge, empty halls with her sister, both of them almost out of breath, their small feet hitting the red carpet with a surprising amount of force.

Strangely enough, it was one of her fondest memories from childhood, wandering that huge old mansion that was owned by a family that she would one day be a part of.

“How nice.” Jenna replied, her eyes scrunching up a bit as she smiled politely. “Are you two looking for a house? I can’t imagine you’d both want to spend all your time in the palace.”

Tessa paused and shrugged. “We’re not sure yet. There are… many things we need to consider when making a decision about that.”

 _Such as if we even want to live together at all_.

“Oh, definitely.” The other woman agreed, taking a sip of her drink — it was something alcoholic, that’s all Tessa knew. She honestly wasn’t listening when Jenna ordered. “Those apartments are just _grand_ — so gorgeous! If I were you, I wouldn’t want to give up palace life.”

Tessa swallowed, gripping her napkin tightly. “They really are. Although, I know Scott prefers the castle over the apartments in the palace. He thinks it’s… more homely.” She said, forcing a smile.

There was something about this woman that she didn’t exactly like, and she wasn’t quite sure why. Of course, it could just be the fact that Jenna was much more outgoing than she was, but Tessa knew there was something she was missing. After all, _how_ did Jenna know so much about royal life? As far as Tessa knew, the other woman didn’t come from a distinguished family like she did.

“Oh, yes, Scotty loves the castle. It’s one of his favorite royal residences, if I remember correctly,” Jenna commented, and the sudden realization seemed to hit Tessa in the face.

 _Is… Jenna his ex-girlfriend? Am I having lunch with my husband’s_ ex _right now?_ Tessa thought, her eyes widening.

She forced a smile and gripped the napkin in her lap so tightly that her knuckles almost turned white. If she ever met Jenna again, and, God forbid, Scott was around, she was sure it wouldn’t end well. Tessa didn’t usually dislike people so soon after meeting them, but she didn’t exactly want to see this extroverted, all-too-confident _friend_ of Scott’s again.

If the other woman noticed Tessa’s white knuckles, she didn’t comment on it, thankfully.

* * *

**  
THE CROWN**

“What happened between you and Tessa?” Alma asked one afternoon, after she’d called Scott into her bedroom to have a _talk_. The request made him think of his youth, when his mother would frequently explain to him the complexities of his future job and the weight that he’d one day have to carry as the future king.

“Nothing,” He lied, studying the elaborate jewelry box that sat on the Queen’s dresser. He knew that if he opened the golden box, he’d find ornate brooches, necklaces, rings, and bracelets, all of which had been passed down through the royal family for generations.

“Scott.” His mother sighed from the other side of the room. “I know I’m not the most _observant_ mother, but after so many years, I like to think I know when my child is hurting, or suffering, or feeling down.”

He didn’t respond, his jaw tightening as he ran his hand over the closed box, tracing the designs with his finger. His own gold signet ring, the one he’d been wearing on his left pinkie finger ever since he’d been crowned the Prince of Canada, glinted in the sunlight that poked in through the curtains.

“And I know that Tessa’s feeling down, too.” Alma said, and Scott closed his eyes. “She barely leaves her room, and when she does, she almost never speaks. So, would you mind telling me what happened?”

He swallowed, shoving his hands into his pockets and raising his head to look at his mother. “She needs more lessons, more training.” Scott started, lying through his teeth. “She was unprepared for what happened on our tour of the States.”

“That’s not true.” She replied, and Scott breathed in sharply, slightly shocked that his mother saw through his bullshit _that_ easily. (Although, in hindsight, it shouldn’t have surprised him.). “She handled it wonderfully. What happened?”

“You know how this tour was always supposed to be for _me_?” He started, and his mother nodded. “It was in the works even before I married her. And I guess I supposed that she’d understand that, or at _least_ pick up on it, and let me be in the spotlight, but she… she didn’t.”

Alma stared at him, her expression unreadable.

“I thought she’d support me.” Scott continued, shrugging. “And let _me_ handle things, since I’ve done tours before. But…” He paused, shaking his head.

“But?”

“She… _She_ was the star. And I just— I don’t understand how someone who had mere _weeks_ to learn the hundreds of rules that this family requires would somehow upstage _me,_ who’s been preparing for his role for his whole _life._ ” He said, frustrated. “What the hell am I doing wrong?”

He didn’t understand. He’d done everything he was supposed to, and yet, people were more taken with Tessa, an _outsider_ , than they were with him.

“You’re not doing _anything_ wrong, I promise. The public just happens to respond well to how Tessa acts.”

Scott sighed. “Well then, what do _I_ need to do to get that same kind of praise and adoration that she’s getting? Do I need to lead from the heart instead of the head?” He asked, letting his head fall down slightly. “I’ll be in your shoes one day, Mom. Tell me what I need to do.”

“That’s something you need to talk to your wife about,” She responded simply. “I can’t help you with this. You two need to have it out.”

Scott opened his mouth to protest, but Alma interrupted him. “Do you expect to be King on day?”

What an absurd statement that was. He was the heir. Of _course_ he expected to be King. He’d practically spent his entire life preparing for it.

He blinked in surprise. “I— yes, of course.”

“Then I suggest that you start acting like one.” His mother said, her tone deathly serious. “Get over your jealousy and make things _work_.”

“Otherwise, what? Things will fall apart?” He asked bitterly, staring at her.

“It’s only fallen apart if you say it has.” Alma reminded him. “That’s the thing about being royalty: if every single thing you do is loud, and grand, and confident enough, no one will notice anything wrong with your marriage. And I suppose that you’ve already succeeded in convincing the country, as well as our neighbor, that everything is okay. That’s the point of you, of all of us. To convince everyone that we will be okay.”

Scott paused, the wheels already starting to turn in his head. Had Tessa somehow already caught on to that? Was that why her confidence and her personality were so infectious?

“How do I do that?” He asked weakly, looking towards his mother for help. “You know, over-exaggerate everything, all the time?”

“You cannot flinch.” She told him. “Because if you show a single crack, a single sign of weakness, everyone will see that it isn’t a crack at all, but rather, a chasm. And we’ll all fall in.” Alma looked at her son. “You know this family has problems, but we’ve managed to overcome them, to fix them. So, one day, you must hold it all together, just like I am doing now.”

“Do I have to do that all alone?”

“Well,” She replied, an air of finality in her voice. “One day, there will only be one king.”

 _And one queen._ A small part of him wanted to point out, but he stayed quiet.

He remembered something that his mother told him once, in the weeks before he was to be crowned Prince of Canada.

_As heir to the throne, you cannot be allowed to fail. The Crown must win. It must always win._

He supposed that he’d better make things between him and Tessa work out, for the sake of… everyone, really. The Crown, and the future of the country, would one day depend on _them_.

His mother gestured for him to leave her room, and he did, shutting the large white door behind him quietly. Despite it being the afternoon, the palace was strangely quiet.

He clasped his hands behind his back, bowing his head slightly, and prepared to walk the long, grand halls of the palace.  
  


* * *

The next few weeks passed without too much fanfare. The palace and the country celebrated Scott’s 31st birthday, and husband and wife put their bitterness and strife to the side for a day. To an outsider, it would have seemed like nothing was wrong.

Scott, however, knew that something was amiss. Tessa had seemed so unlike herself after her restaurant meeting with Jenna, and he felt a pang of regret for not telling her the whole truth about his past relationship with Jenna. Yes, the two of them _were_ great friends, and she really was quite good company, but there was more to the story that he hadn’t told his wife.

He wondered if she was ever going to confront him about it, and demand to know the truth, or if she’d simply go about acting like nothing was wrong. This couldn’t go on forever, he knew. One day, one of them would break.

They, along with the rest of the royal family, were on their way to the Moir Castle for a few weeks of rest and relaxation. The car ride was quiet, and neither husband nor wife said a word. Tessa occupied her time by looking out the window, her head leaning against the glass. Scott watched her carefully, studying her in her calm, relaxed state.

Since the tour ended, Tessa had seemed to have retreated into her shell again. She wasn’t the confident, happy princess that he’d witnessed in the United States, but rather, she was more reminiscent of the young, shy woman he’d proposed to not even a year earlier.

He didn’t know how to talk to her, how to end this seemingly vast void between them. Just as he’d began to think he’d gotten to know her well enough, Tessa Virtue had put up her walls again.

Scott sighed, turning his head toward his window, watching the world rush by outside the glass.

He just hoped things would be better by the time these few weeks at the castle were over. That was all he really wanted.  
  


* * *

  
Dinner wasn’t as awkward as he thought it would be. Tessa stayed quiet, only butting into the family’s lively conversations every now and then. His parents, aunt, uncle, and cousins were planning on taking a long walk around the lake after dinner, which made Scott suspect that he and Tessa had not been invited for _reasons_.

If this was how the family had decided to push them into having a conversation, then so be it. They’d be completely alone together for the first time in weeks. Better to get it over with than continue making everyone else feel miserable.

Some time later, after everyone else had left, Scott stood alone in the castle’s spacious backyard. It faced the lake, and was surrounded by a good amount of trees. It was truly a gorgeous place to watch the sunset, and that was exactly what he was currently doing. It was late September, and it was still a bit warm outside, so Scott had rolled up his sleeves to his upper forearms.

He took a sip of the small amount of wine that was still in his wine glass and sighed, content. It was a beautiful night.

The distinct sound of heels clicking on the castle’s stone patio dragged him out of his reverie, and he swallowed. He didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.

The sound of Tessa’s high-heels became muffled as she stepped onto the grass.

“Everyone else went on a long walk around the lake,” Scott told her, still not turning around. “So it’s just us here.”

“Hm, I wonder why they did that,” She said sarcastically, and he could practically _hear_ the grin in her voice. He scoffed quietly, and she stepped into view beside him.

The periwinkle dress she was wearing had small white flowers on it, and the dress fluttered slightly in the breeze. It was a wonder that she managed to walk in the grass, in those small white heels of hers.

He couldn’t find it in himself to look at her face. Not now. Not yet.

Scott took a deep breath.

“We need to talk.”

“Yes, I think we do.” Tessa said quietly, glancing at him. “What have you been up to during these past few weeks?”

“Well, I had a conversation with my mom, actually.” He replied. “She was pretty strict. Reminded me of when I was a kid and I didn’t want to go to my etiquette lessons.” He said, and she scoffed quietly.

“Sometimes I wish she was like that with me.” She said, turning her body towards his, so they were facing each other. “You know, kind of strict and cold like that.”

“Why?”

“It would mean that I have worth.” She said, looking off into the sunset for a moment. “That I mean something to this family. That I fit in.”

“You do fit in.”

“How?” She questioned, eyeing him. “Where exactly do I fit in?”

“You fit in because you’re my _wife_.” He said, looking at her with all the sincerity and respect and adoration that he could muster. “And the future Queen.”

“I’m an outsider.” She reminded him. “And sometimes I still feel like I’m waiting for people to accept me.” He shot her a look. “Not publicly, but privately.”

“Privately?” He asked. “Tess, my parents accept you. My mother adores you, actually—“

She looked at him with a pointed stare, her eyebrows raising slightly in a way that would’ve been almost comical, if their current conversation wasn’t so serious.

“Oh.” Scott swallowed. _She’s talking about me._

She sighed, studying the freshly-cut grass on the lawn in front of them. “You want to know something?” Tessa asked him, not waiting for him to answer. “I felt terribly alone during our engagement, when you were on tour, and I danced all the time and took ballet lessons because I— I didn’t know what else to do. I was... new to palace life, new to royal life, really, and I didn’t know if it was appropriate to contact you.”

She stopped, chewing her bottom lip slightly, before tearing her eyes away from the grass and looking at him. “And I’m feeling the exact same way now. Being famous — receiving all this attention, really — is not something I anticipated when your mother told us about our tour. I feel like I’m doing something wrong and I just... don’t know how to make it up to you, I guess.”

“Tess...” Scott started, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I understand that you want to be loved by the public just as much as I am. And honestly, you deserve more attention.” Tessa said quietly, watching him closely. “You’re the heir to the throne. You’re... you’re a hereditary prince, and I’m just the person who married in.” She shrugged, and they both chuckled a bit at that.

“And I’m sorry that I didn’t realize that, at first.” She continued. “I’m sorry for what I did during your speech. I thought I was helping, but… I guess you didn’t think so.”

“I forgive you.” Scott said, his voice almost a whisper. He focused on the grass, instead of her.

“I know people are expecting me to be perfect. And I’m trying, I really am.” Tessa told him, sighing softly. “But if you wanted someone who could perfectly balance royal life _and_ marriage at the same time, from the very beginning, you should’ve picked someone else.”

He looked up at her, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible.

“Jenna is just as extroverted as you are,” She said, and he swallowed roughly. “And she knows everything, all the rules that need to be followed. She has such _knowledge_ about what this kind of life entails, which is why I’ve come to realize that you two are _perfect_ for each other.”

“Tess—“

“You don’t have to tell me that she’s your ex.” Tessa continued, and Scott sighed. “I figured it out myself. But— I know we can’t ever separate, or divorce, but if you want to be with her, then I’ll allow it. I’m fine with it.” She shrugged. “And besides, I think every other royal marriage has had their fair share of affairs and cheaters, haven’t they?” Her face twisted into a bitter, small smile.

Scott stared at her incredulously, shaking his head.

“Tessa…” He began. “If I wanted to marry Jenna, I would’ve. I would’ve abdicated for her if I’d had the chance. But that’s all in the past. I’ve grown up, at least a little bit.”

He paused, drinking in the last remnants of his wine from his glass. Scott studied the design on the glass for a moment, before tearing his gaze away from it and looking up at his wife again.

“There’s nothing going on between Jenna and I. The night you saw us walking down the hallway together, after we’d returned from our tour? That was the first time I’d seen her in almost two years.” He said truthfully. “And she just came to belatedly congratulate us, and ask if she could get to know you. That was it. I broke things off with her before I started seeing your sister.”

She didn’t respond, but her expression told Scott everything he needed to know. She was surprised, maybe even a little bit embarrassed.

“I don’t know what happened between the two of you when you met, and honestly, I don’t want to know.” Scott continued. “But, I’ll tell you this: yes, at one point in time, she _was_ perfect for me. But she wasn’t perfect for the Crown.”

“This… _role_ , the one that you are in now, requires grace, and empathy, and kindness. The ability to be quiet and command respect is important. And Jenna didn’t have that, among other things that the Crown requires.” He said. “Yes, I loved her, when I was younger, but now I’ve realized that we _never_ would’ve worked well together as a team.”

“How so?” Tessa asked quietly, looking down at her white shoes.

“She seemed to be mistaken about who the center of attention really was.” Scott shrugged. “It’s not me, and it’s not you. It’s the _Queen_.”

He remembered an important conversation that he’d once had with his father, when he was younger. His father had been second to his wife for his whole life, and would be until she died. Then, he would be second to his son, the future king. A few years before Scott was formally crowned the Prince of Canada, he’d let his role as the future monarch go to his head. His teenage self had seemed to think that he deserved the same amount of attention as his mother did, and so he was sat down and given an important lecture about the Queen’s role in their family.

 _Everyone in this system is a lost, lonely, irrelevant outsider, apart from the one person, the only person, that matters. She is the oxygen we all breathe, the essence of all our duty. She_ is _the Crown. Your problem, if I may say, is you seem to be confused about who that person is._

Like he used to be, Jenna had seemed to be just as confused about who the only person that mattered _really_ was.

Scott swallowed and kept talking. “Jenna didn’t know that. She walked into this castle like she owned the place, she acted like she belonged there. And she didn’t.” He said.

“So that’s how she didn’t pass the test.” Tessa replied, nodding gently. Scott blinked. “She told me about it.” She explained.

“Of course she did,” He scoffed, and Tessa smiled for a moment, amused by his reaction. “Anyway, she’s an example of what _not_ to do. She didn’t earn anyone’s trust, or give them a moment to warm up to her. She just jumped right in.” Scott paused. “And I thought that was admirable. I liked her confidence. I had confidence, too. But I needed to _give_ my confidence to someone. And she already had so much of it. We couldn’t give anything to each other.”

There were more details he knew he was keeping from her, things about Jenna’s past and her lack of acceptable connections, but they didn’t really matter. The fact of the matter was, he didn’t love Jenna anymore. He’d been so naïve, so willing to accept that _he_ was the only person in the family who thought Jenna deserved to marry him, that he hadn’t seen the red flags that were practically waving directly in front of his face. In the end, his family had been right. They always were.

“And, honestly, I’ve realized that… Jenna’s not _you_.”

Her mouth opened slightly at this, her eyes widening as she stared at him.

“I—“

“She’s not you,” He repeated, reaching for her hand and taking it gently. “She’ll _never_ be you. God, Tess, I was such an idiot. I _still_ am.” They both scoffed at that, and she smiled briefly. “I was so— so _blinded_ by jealousy and I was hurt that you were, I don’t know, _stealing_ my attention that I just—“ Scott swallowed. “I didn’t realize how well you’ve settled into your role, and I’m… I’m proud of you.”

He meant it. He meant it a few weeks ago, when he told her he was proud of her in their massive New York City hotel room, and he meant it now. Despite their current bitterness towards one another, he was still proud of her, and he probably always would be.

Preparing to be the future Queen was no easy task, of course, especially for someone who wasn’t born into the Royal Family.

“You are?” She said, her eyes wide.

“Yes.” He replied. “Yes, of course I am. You’re my wife. You’re… you’re a perfect princess.”

Tessa looked down at the grass, a bit sheepishly, but her hand was still in his.

“And I—“ Scott said quickly, stopping when he saw how fast she looked up at him again. “I love you.”

Her bottom lip quivered slightly, and she had the most peculiar, calm look on her face, one that Scott wouldn’t have even come close to understanding or deciphering several months ago.

But by now, he knew that this was a look of — understanding, of acceptance, of _relief_ , even. Relief that their marriage wouldn’t fail and bring everyone else in the family down with it as a result. Relief that they could make things right between them. Relief that, thankfully, her husband wasn’t some fucked-up heir to the throne who couldn’t deal with his jealousy properly.

His mother would be proud, maybe (probably) relieved that her son had finally fallen in love with his wife. It had taken a little while, but, hey, theirs was a royal marriage, after all. It was hardly expected for things to go smoothly _all_ of the time.

“Well,” She said finally, dropping her hand from his to begin fidgeting with her engagement ring. It used to annoy him, the way she’d run the pad of her index finger over the emerald stone, or turn the ring over and over and over on her finger. But now, he thought it was oddly endearing. It almost seemed like she touched the ring, the most noticeable reminder of their incredibly important union, when she needed to ground herself.

“I think we both need to give each other more encouragement. You know, cheer each other on, be proud of one another, that sort of thing. Not… avoid each other until we absolutely can’t anymore.”

He had to admit, she was right. One day, this monarchy would start and stop with him, when he was king. They needed to find a way to work together.

“You know,” Tessa spoke up again. “I think this might be one of the most important conversations we’ve ever had.”

“Mhm. I think you’re right.” Scott agreed, smiling. He raised his empty wine glass. “A toast. To encouragement.”

She nodded her head in the direction of his glass, clearly intending to make another toast, even if she didn’t have a glass, and his was empty. “To affection.”

“To _love._ ”  
  


* * *

**THE FUTURE** ****

_Toronto, Christmas 2018_

“Are you and my sister even _remotely_ okay with being in each other’s presence?” Jordan interrogated her brother-in-law, before he even had a glass of wine in his hand, at the annual family Christmas party, which took place at the same royal estate that the Virtue family used to occasionally use in the summertime. That was many years ago, though, and Scott was surprised that Jordan still seemed to be familiar with the place.

He hid his smile behind the glass that she’d just handed to him as he took his first (and definitely not last) sip of the night. He and Tessa were _more_ than okay now, having reconciled their relationship just a few months earlier, at the castle. Just like his mother had said, the night before the wedding, their mutual respect and admiration for each other had finally grown into love.

“Yes,” Scott replied. “I take it that you haven’t talked to her in a few…” He paused. “…months?”

She shook her head. “I’ve been busy with my own _affairs of the heart_.” Jordan snorted softly, before taking a drink from her own glass.

He laughed quietly, the sound barely heard over the loud conversations in the room. “Congratulations on your engagement,” Scott said earnestly.

“Thank you,” Jordan replied, looking down at the beautiful diamond ring on her finger. “It’s not exactly comparable to the rock that my sister has, but I still know that Jonathan will treat me like a _queen_.”

Her fiancé came from a rich family as well, and had an estate of his own, so Scott knew that she was right.

“You know,” Jordan spoke up again, looking up from her ring. “Had the circumstances gone a bit differently, I might’ve been _your_ queen.”

Scott chuckled, remembering their past relationship. “In another life, Virtue.”

She nodded, agreeing with him, before glancing over at her sister. Tessa stood alone in a corner, no glass in sight.

“I suggest you take a look at your life right now, Moir. Go and get your wife a glass of wine, or at least give her yours,” Jordan said, nodding her head at the glass he was holding.

Scott hesitated. He instinctively brought his hand near his heart, where a piece of paper hid in the breast pocket of his simple black suit. He’d folded it so many times that he _knew_ it had creased, making the off-white, official-looking cardstock seem like nothing but trashy notebook paper.

There were only four little words on it, four words that would, no doubt, change his life, as well as the rest of the Royal Family’s.

“That reminds me,” He said, hurriedly handing his glass to Jordan. He’d barely drank any of his wine. “We _do_ need to talk.”

Jordan took the glass, confused, as her brother-in-law crossed the room and made his way towards his wife. “Your bow tie is coming undone,” She said loudly, but Scott either didn’t hear her, or he simply didn’t care.

“Hey,” He swallowed, furrowing his eyebrows for a second as he stopped and stood at Tessa’s side. Her black long sleeve turtleneck dress paired nicely with his suit. “Do you know where my mother is, by chance?”

She blinked, her green eyes searching his face for a brief moment as she absentmindedly chewed her bottom lip. “Nope,” She said, scanning the crowded room.

The duo wandered through the room, politely squeezing through the throng guests and family members who stood in the large living room. The soft notes of _Silent Night_ faded, and husband and wife found themselves in another room, although this one was much larger than the living room, and served as the location for the massive Christmas tree that the Queen was currently staring at.

The tree itself really _was_ gorgeous, and measured about 12 feet tall. The small white lights that hung from its branches cast a soft glow around the room, and reflected off of the beautiful glass ornaments that rested delicately on the pine needles. The carefully wrapped pile of presents were almost hidden under the long under the branches, waiting to be opened in the morning on Christmas Day. And, on one of the couches, her back turned away from her son and daughter-in-law, sat Alma Moir.

Scott cleared his throat quietly, causing the royal matriarch to turn her head quickly.

“Oh. It’s you.” She said, surprised. “I thought it was your father, or a butler telling me to give a speech.”

He shook his head gently, and heard Tessa laugh quietly beside him. “The night isn’t over yet, Mom.”

The Queen gestured to the empty couch opposite her, urging the duo to sit down. They did, and Scott took a deep breath. The nervousness was settling in, although he had no real reason to be nervous at all.

“We have a present for you,” He told her, smiling politely as he watched his mom turn toward the tree.

“Which one is it?” She asked, looking at the pile of presents under the tree. “Grab it for me, please.”

Scott blinked. “Oh, it’s not- it’s not really a physical present, Mom.” He stuttered, and Tessa nodded.

Alma narrowed her eyes, a small grin growing on her face, the kind Scott had grown used to seeing before his mother made a (usually terrible) joke. “Scotty,” She said slowly, and Scott clenched his jaw at the mention of the nickname. “Did you and your wife get a _divorce_ for Christmas?”

Yep. A terrible joke.

Tessa blinked, her mouth agape for a second. “Oh, no.” She said, shaking her head as Scott put his head in his hands.

“I know, I know, it was just a _joke_ -“

“Yeah, and a terrible one at that.” Scott groaned, reaching into the breast pocket of his suit to grab the folded paper. It had creased terribly, but his and Tessa’s combined golden royal monogram remained unharmed, thankfully.

“I know you two are on perfectly fine terms now.” The Queen continued, eyeing the paper in Scott’s hand. He handed it to her, swallowing nervously.

His mother unfolded the paper, and Tessa grabbed Scott’s hand gently.

Alma looked at the four written words on the page, furrowing her brow for a moment as she processed what she was reading.

“ _Henry Philip Edward Louis,_ ” She said aloud, looking up at her son and daughter-in-law. “What is this?”

Tessa was having trouble hiding her grin, but Scott had managed to keep a straight face. “Well, what does it look like?”

“I guess it looks like a name, but—“ Alma stopped when she noticed the grin on Tessa’s face, and the smile that her son had now failed to hide. “Oh. _Oh._ ”

“Yes, it is,” Scott smiled, feeling happier than he had in years. “Anyway, do you approve?”

His mother gaped at him. “Of the name? Oh, yes, absolutely. A name like that is definitely fit for a future king.”

Alma got up to give her daughter-in-law (and future grandchild) a hug, and Scott joined in. The hug was warm and comforting, and he breathed in the scent of pines from the tree in the room.

The three of them parted, Alma giving both of their hands a squeeze.

“I knew you could do it,” She told her son, beaming.

“Do what?” He asked, clasping his hands behind his back and preparing to rejoin the party with his wife.

“Fall in love with her,” Alma said simply, and Scott smiled, a bit sheepishly.

Mother, son, and daughter-in-law made their way back to the party, the notes of another Christmas song seeping into their ears.

For the first time since his last encounter with Patrice Lauzon, Scott felt a strange sense of peace wash over him. The older man would surely be proud of where he’d ended up in life.

And that just made him smile even wider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Forelsket” is an untranslatable Norwegian word that basically means “the feeling when love begins.”
> 
> The scene with Tessa and Jenna at lunch is based off of a scene from episode 4 (“Fairytale”) of Season 4, when, shortly after the engagement, Camilla invites Diana to lunch and asks her about her relationship with Charles. This actually happened in real life, and that was when Diana suspected something was up with her fiancé and his “friend.”
> 
> Alma reprimanding Scott is based on two scenes, one from the last episode of Season 4 (“War”) and the other from the last episode of Season 3. In Season 4’s scene, the Queen basically begs Charles to make his relationship with his wife work, and it... does not. The Scene from Season 3 shows Princess Margaret (the Queen’s sister) reminding her of her responsibilities as Queen.
> 
> Scott and Tessa’s conversation in the castles’s backyard is based on a scene in Season 4, Episode 6, which was also the basis for the last chapter. Charles and Diana momentarily reconcile and decide to make their marriage work, but, later in the episode, that proves to be a lot harder than they anticipated.
> 
> The last scene, which shows the family at a Christmas party, is also very loosely based on the last scene of Season 4. Like, incredibly loosely based. The only connection is the fact that both scenes take place at a Christmas party.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this work! It was very entertaining to write.

**Author's Note:**

> The quote at the end is a direct quote from the Archbishop of Canterbury, who officiated Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding.
> 
> Work title comes from the famous quote by Shakespeare.


End file.
